DC Startup Takes on Rogue Drones

Drones are great for capturing data from hard to reach places, but sometimes operators lose control. One local startup says it has the answer.

SEESPAN, based in Bethesda and Lewes, DE, developed a tethered drone that can be quickly reeled in if it goes rogue, or gets hacked or dangerously close to people or objects. Mark Ryan, who launched the company two years ago with his son, Kyle, says the drone is anchored using a high-strength deep sea fishing line. The other end of the line can be attached to any moving vehicle. An onboard device allows the operator to pull and control the bird without it crashing. (Drones don’t respond well to being pulled too quickly.) 

The technology, which was tested in Wise, VA, last weekend for the “Let’s Fly Wisely” Health Fair, will allow the drone to get closer to people and objects more safely, says Mark. The FAA only allows drones to get within 500 feet (nearly two football fields) of the public, but SEESPAN is applying for an exemption to get within 50 feet. Mark says the FAA’s decision could come as early as September, and the company hopes to start selling a service in the fall. SEESPAN already has interest from a turf management company (think golf courses). Other applications include newsgathering, fan and event experiences, remote sensing in agriculture and land management, and commercial aerial inspections and real estate.

Mark and Kyle launched SEESPAN after trying to develop a hyper-local news company that could rely more on technology than people to gather information. They experimented with drones and learned how uncontrollable they can be after seeing a rogue drone hit a tree and break into pieces. The team worked with Virginia Tech engineers and NASA advisers to develop a tethered drone. Mark says it’s unique because it can go as far as a kilometer and be reeled in at 400 feet per 12 seconds. It hasn’t yet been priced, but it’ll be offered through licensing and as a service for drone aero-photography and sensing technology.