Ever since hobbyists started buying and making their own drones at home, government and law enforcement agencies have been freaking out over the possibility that someone might add guns or explosives into the mix. Whoever uploaded this video featuring a homemade quadcopter firing a handgun four times isn’t the first Average Joe to successfully mix guns and drones, but it is a sign that people are indeed adding weapons to their flying “toys.”
The person who uploaded this video is no stranger to drone drama. According to the Verge…
Hogwit appears to be Austin Haughwout, a US drone hobbyist who was involved in a drone-rage incident last year. While flying a video-equipped drone at a beach, Haughwout got into a confrontation with a woman, Andrea Mears, who felt she was in danger from the craft. Footage of the incident went viral, and Mears was charged with third-degree assault before being granted probation.
While the footage mentioned clearly shows Mears attacking the teenaged Haughwout, it isn’t exactly encouraging to learn that the person attaching guns to a drone has gotten into conflicts with people over his drone use in the past. I’m sure Mr. Haughwout will be getting a visit from the government soon, as it’s quite illegal to attach guns to your drone.
This particular drone seems to have trouble staying aflight as it fired, but lest you think any gun drone you encounter will be just as shifty and unwieldy, I encourage you to watch the following video made in 2013 of a drone that doesn’t just fire a gun… it’s probably a better shot than many humans.
https://youtu.be/jxThXvuP4Vo
The people involved in this video did all that as part of an advertisement for ClearPlex smartphone screen protectors, which just goes to show you how low the barrier for entry into the remote flying killing machine field is nowadays.
(via the Verge)