Citizen Drone Warfare': Introducing the Do-It-Yourself, Paintball-Equipped Drone

The folk's maintaining the YouTube channel Danger Info have something to say about the future of drone technology. It's not about pervasive government surveillance, which many worry about, but civilian use of the equipment and "citizen drone warfare."

Although many government agencies and local law enforcement might be stocking up on drone technology, Danger Info states "this video is not about those drones." What it is about are civilian drones used for personal defense, crop dusting, collecting evidence of pollution and more.

The character Milo Danger with an American flag bandanna over his face, sunglasses covering his eyes and a device distorting his true voice wonders if drones could be used in an "ethically gray area or even directly in unlawful activities?"

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

To find out, Danger Info built its own drone using only the Internet and terms "drone" and "diy." They included on-board video and a handgun mount to showcase "how safe -- or dangerous -- an armed drone would be in the hands of a civilian."

Given that it's "almost certainly a felony" to equip a drone or other remote-controlled device with an armed weapon, Danger Info used a paintball gun.

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

First question: Can a mail-order drone kit handle a gun shooting off several rounds? Answer: Yes.

Second question: Is it accurate? Answer: Based on all the orange paintball hits, we'd say so.

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Watch the test of the tech for yourself:

"If this is what a novice with a small budget can accomplish, then clearly this technology has a lot of potential. Considering the growing popularity of these DIY devices, it seems inevitable that they're going to be used in ways that the inventors and manufacturers would have never imagined," Milo Danger said.

Check out Danger Info's Facebook page here.

Related:

• Expanding Drone Legislation 'Raising an Alarm With the American Public'
• 'DIY Kid-Tracking Drone': Dad Builds Quadrotor to Walk His Kid to Bus Stop
• Judge Okay's Use of Drones Against US Citizens Over...Stolen Cows
• Nano Drone Swarm Shows Off Slightly Creepy Formation Skills

(H/T: Gizmodo)