The German drone start-up Argus is launching an innovative system on the market: a large quadcopter that captures unwanted or hostile rotor drones with the help of launched nets. Argus attracted attention with this approach at IDEX in Abu Dhabi and IDET in Brno. Militär Aktuell spoke to Argus co-founder and CSO Sven Steingräber about the concept and the technology.
Mr. Steingräber, how did the idea behind your company come about?
The idea was born at the Helmut Schmidt University of the German Armed Forces in Hamburg as part of the FALKE research project – which stands for “Capability of intercepting small aircraft entering restricted airspace by civilian resources”. Four former students of the university founded Argus 2022. Since then, we have been based in Faßberg – about an hour’s drive south of Hamburg – but are currently in the process of relocating to Rotenburg, which lies between Bremen and Hamburg. As former students, we continue to maintain a strategic partnership with the university. And, of course, it would be a nice thread if our product were to be used in the armed forces at some point, perhaps even in the armed forces.
So your product is not yet being used by the authorities in Germany?
No, that is correct. There is definitely interest in our system, but the procurement processes are notoriously slow. We are in good talks – with the military and the police. We also hold regular demos to present the system. There is often skepticism at first as to whether the technology is really ready for use. But we were able to show in tests and demonstrations that our system is already very advanced.
Griechenland macht Leonidas-Schützenpanzer fit für die Drohnenabwehr
What does “highly developed” mean in this context – are we talking about success rates in the region of 100 percent?
Our hit rate is over 90, sometimes even 95 percent. The speeds are also important here. Originally, the target speed was around five meters per second, i.e. around 20 km/h. Today – without giving exact figures – we achieve significantly higher values, up to 20 meters per second (around 70 km/h). During demonstrations with police forces, we were also able to convincingly demonstrate the efficiency of our system in pursuit mode.
How can we imagine using your quadcopter?
As soon as a potential target has been identified, our interceptor drone takes off autonomously and flies towards the incoming drone. In the final phase, our integrated sensor suite – consisting of radar, LiDAR and optical camera – takes over and guides the drone to the target with AI support. The operator can then decide whether the target should be tracked or netted. Collateral damage is a particularly sensitive issue in urban environments – who is allowed to do what, and when? It was also important for us to keep the entire system below the 25-kilogram limit.
This approach should be of interest to authorities, as the target is not destroyed but secured. Is it possible to read out the control data of the captured targets after the mission?
That is precisely our approach. Because there are no falling parts that could fall on people or infrastructure. But even more important for state authorities are the questions: What did the drone record? Where did it come from? Who was controlling it? The seized device can be used to distinguish between a hobby pilot flying over a swimming pool and a foreign spy.
Up to what weight can targets be captured?
We are currently able to capture drones weighing up to seven kilograms – in other words, almost anything that is commercially available, including modified drones. It doesn’t matter whether only one rotor of the target is caught, for example. Even then, the target is disabled, but does not crash.
So your quadcopter captures the target with nets. Has it ever happened that the captured drone “escapes” from the net?
Exactly. Each interceptor drone carries two nets in a container. The nets have a range of around ten meters and a surface area of 16 square meters. They are ejected using air pressure – a metal weight is suspended from each corner, which stretches the net. It has actually happened once or twice that a target was able to free itself from the net – a maximum case of misfortune. In 99 percent of successful hits, the target remains secured.
How is the distance to the target measured in the final phase?
LiDAR is responsible for this. In contrast to radar (microwaves) or sonar (sound waves), LiDAR uses reflected light. This allows us to measure the approach with high precision. In this phase, the system works completely autonomously. A human operator is no longer required as soon as they have given the go-ahead. The drone then positions itself independently and triggers access.
Does this access always follow the same pattern?
Not necessarily. There are two different modes: the “Dogfight” mode, in which we position ourselves behind the target and fire the net. And the “Shield” mode: Here, the interceptor drone positions itself frontally in the target’s approach path and intercepts it with a net that is triggered in time. This requires quick adjustments – in height, position and direction – to maximize the probability of capture.
What part does AI play in this?
The artificial intelligence takes over the data fusion – i.e. the interaction of radar, LiDAR, optical sensors and ground control station. The radar works at long range and the LiDAR at close range. The AI continuously calculates the distances and helps to determine the optimum attack position – like a small fire control computer.
The drones used in the Ukraine war(-> current news from the Ukraine war) are relatively inexpensive to purchase. Can your system keep up with this, or does a Police or military unit clearly committed to the system?
As we are still in the manufacturing phase, we are currently in the six-figure range per system. As soon as we start producing larger quantities, it will of course become cheaper. So it’s definitely not as cheap as the drones used – but our system is not a disposable product. The network launchers can be recharged quickly, after which the system is ready for use again. The cost-to-kill ratio is just a few hundred euros per mission.
Here to our drone topic area with all the latest news on the subject.
