Texas firm building device to put US intelligence in Chinese drones

DroneSense, a Texas-based company that builds drone software for first responders, says it is ready to venture into the hardware space with the production of a new communication device that can be attached to any public safety drone such as the DJI M300 or the M30. This add-on device will essentially function like a backpack computer and ensure no information is leaked to the drone manufacturer.

DroneSense’s announcement comes days after the Florida government banned public safety agencies from using DJI drones because they are manufactured in a “foreign country of concern.” 

The device that DroneSense has planned will be compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It will bypass the existing radio frequency link used to operate DJI drones from the ground and operate with first responder traffic prioritization, aka FirstNet radio frequency. It will also give the aircraft 4G/5G data connectivity.

Since the solution will put…