Testing the efficiency of laser technology to destroy the rogue drones is a research paper by Mohamed Zied Chaari, and Somaya Al-Maadeed.

A substantial body of research highlights the escalating number of drone attacks, despite the deployment of RF jammer systems and other technologies. This surge in drone attacks indicates that existing solutions are insufficient to thwart them effectively. This article presents a study on a novel approach to counter rogue drones using a laser beam combined with an optical focusing system, creating a powerful cannon.

The experimental method involves a unique design integrating a laser module and sets of optical lenses to concentrate power onto a single point, capable of carbonizing any target. Notably, the laser possesses an adjustable lens position, ranging from 477mm to 617mm, allowing precise focus on distant objects. To gauge effectiveness, we measured the time required to burn acrylic plastic, wood, and hard carton from a distance of 55 meters. The results demonstrated that the laser’s efficiency correlates with its power and the duration the cannon is active.

Tests on the laser cannon revealed its capability to destroy illegal drones effectively. However, it was observed that adverse weather conditions, such as fog, rain, and clouds, could impact the laser’s performance. Moreover, the technique has limitations associated with stabilizing system requirements, energy consumption, overheating, and the time needed to neutralize a target. Despite these drawbacks, the laser stands as the most efficient solution to dismantle or intercept autonomously programmed drones, a feat unachievable by RF jammers or other existing methods.

The procedure can be further improved by using new changeables, such as a CO2 laser tube with a high-efficiency chiller to increase laser power and efficacy. Continuous refinements may lead to a positive outcome in countering drone threats effectively.

Publication Date- September 2020

Testing the efficiency of laser technology to destroy the rogue drones contains the following major sections:

  • Introduction
  • Threats related to misuse of drones
  • Drone threats to airports and airlines
  • Existing technology limitations
  • Study and realisation of a laser prototype solution to destroy an illegal drone
  • Attenuation of laser beam propagation in the atmosphere
  • Technical diagram of the laser prototype
  • Laser source module 38W (NUBM08)
  • Overheating and water cooling system
  • Focusing a laser beam
  • DC-DC step-down converter voltage regulator
  • Conclusion

Open Access Paper. This article is distributed under the terms of the Attribution-Non-Commercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

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Authors– Mohamed Zied Chaari, and Somaya Al-Maadeed

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Post Image- The proposed laser weapon (Image Credit: Mohamed Zied Chaari, and Somaya Al-Maadeed)