Swiss company Polus Tech is launching a new drone-mounted sensor that tracks targets by picking up signals from mobile phones.
The tech is meant for drones that fly at an altitude of around one kilometer (0.6 miles), high enough to avoid detection by simple devices, but low enough for the sensor to still use standard cameras effectively.
During flight, the system can track targets and send back their coordinates in real time.
While Polus Tech hasn’t shared details about the sensor’s core technology, it reportedly locks onto the “radio frequency signals” emitted by mobile phones.
Polus is pairing the sensor with a “smart mission manager” that syncs the drone with command-and-control networks, streamlining everything from planning to execution.
From Rescue to Recon
Before pivoting to defense, the sensor was used in search-and-rescue operations during natural disasters.
Mounted on helicopters, the system reportedly helped locate survivors of floods and cyclones in Australia, Indonesia, and parts of Europe.
Polus Tech founder Niv Carmi, who is also a graduate of a classified Israel Defense Force intelligence unit, claimed that the tech has also been used to find civilians trapped under earthquake rubble using mobile phone signals.
The launch of the drone-ready version signifies Polus’ shift from humanitarian missions to military applications.
