Indiegogo: Security Drone Alpha is the Future’s Watchdog

A California-based company hopes to replace the traditional watchdog with a new drone model designed to protect commercial and residential property.

Galileo launched the Alpha drone as an Indiegogo project on Nov. 1 and bills the UAV as “the next revolution in security.”

The 1.5-pound quadcopter employs low-illumination IR cameras, HD 1080p cams, LIDAR, GPS to set up a geo-fence around a tract of property that couples with “Sensor Nodes” placed around the property, allowing Alpha to patrol within a perimeter without bumping into objects or trespassing in to neighboring tracts.

“This cutting-edge technology enables Alpha to sense its surroundings with unprecedented precision,” said Galileo CEO Joshua Sanabria, adding that the drone is the first model in the world to utilize Pulsed Light, Inc.’s  LED LIDAR system.

“The LIDAR system builds a 3D map, creating a smart environment where Alpha and the Sensor Node can monitor activity in real time,” Sanabria said, adding that, “in the future, you will be able to replay 3D scenes on your property and accurately track perpetrators. The potential uses of LED LIDAR are truly groundbreaking and Alpha will use it to advance the security industry forward.”

The Alpha is autonomous-flight capable and can wireless charge using a station that employs 16 transmitters that send power to Alpha’s 2 receivers. This allows Alpha to trickle-charge until it is activated or it can be connected directly for quicker charging.

The charging station also uses 16 neodymium magnets to hold down the Alpha and help it cling during landing. Alpha is guided in by 20 IR LEDs that serve as a positioning system for the camera to locate and target for landing.

As Galileo demonstrates in a YouTube video, the Alpha drone can receive motion-detection alarms from the Sensor Nodes and launch to the trouble spot, delivering video, audio, and 3D maps directly to the owner’s smartphone.

“Alpha gives you smarter camera angles and drastically quicker response time by combining automated patrols, waypoints, and object tracking,” Sanabria said. “When the job is done, Alpha autonomously flies back to base to charge wirelessly. This fusing of intelligence and versatility will make the Alpha a pioneering product in the drone world.”

Sanabria has set the funding goal at $100,000 with 32 days remaining as of Nov. 10.