New radars identify drones by their rotor vibrations
Technology
Engineers are now hunting drones by listening for the microscopic shivers of their blades, a technique that distinguishes plastic rotors from bird wings with surgical precision.
While traditional radar often misses small drones or mistakes them for geese, a new generation of European defense tech identifies threats by their unique 'shiver.' These sensors use gallium-nitride technology to detect the minute vibrations of a drone's rotors from 50 kilometers away. By measuring shifts in radio waves as small as 0.1 meters per second, the system can tell the difference between a mechanical motor and a living bird.