Occupy Wall Street Gets A Surveillance Drone: The OccuCopter

Tim Pool's tireless coverage of Occupy Wall Street was frustrated only by police barricades limiting press access. But no more.

The Guardian reports that Pool has purchased a Parrot AR drone he's calling the OccuCopter, that he will use to cover the Occupy protests and police action against them.

A normal Parrot AR runs about three-hundred bucks, has an onboard camera and operates via iPhone, iPad, or Android, but Pool modified the Parrot's software to broadcast straight to the Internet.

Link

I personally think that this is kind of cool...but I am also concerned that this will just be taken out by police who are not fond of being videotaped. However your opinion is on OWS, however, it can not be stated that they aren't trying to come up with new ideas and strategies to insure that constant communication is available...from 'mic check' to live streaming to their own drones in addition to social networking.

I think 2012 is going to be interesting despite the fact that I am concerned about possible retribution (intensified) from law enforcement...C'est La Vie...onward to January 17th and Occupy Congress...

Now, this is Journalism, the way it was meant to be.

Hmmmmnnnn. Sounds like a new market might have just opened up. Surface to drone weapons systems. Nothing hazardous to humans, just enough to take out a drone. I'm thinking air cannon shooting a soft polymer slug. I can sell to both the occupyers and the cops. High velocity tennis or racket balls might do it. The best thing is that if it is air powered it is legal.
Win. Win.

reply to post by MemoryShock

I think this is way cool, I just hope the police don't pull an Iran on this guy and take control of copter and land it at police headquarters!

I can actually think of several other uses for this "Occucopter"....
Definitely not at a nude beach though.

Didn't take them long to do this. There was a video just awhile ago of protests filmed from an RC in spain I believe. One of the first comments everywhere was "why not get these to cover the occupy". Good call. That's some seriously good footage they're gonna get.

reply to post by tvtexan


When I was in the Navy, a certain university had a tall dorm building. The women's dorms were on the upper floors and they used to nude sunbathe on the roof. It is amazing what you can see from a helicopter with a 200 mm macro zoom camera lense.

Originally posted by tvtexan
I think this is way cool, I just hope the police don't pull on Iran on this guy and take control of copter and land it at police headquarters!

I am concerned about that as well but the solution is easy...multiple drones...

I am enamoured with an attractive female body as much as the next guy but let's at least make an attempt to keep this on topic...

reply to post by MemoryShock


I think that's awesome .. I can see it now: Cop's feel the OccuCopter is a threat to their well being, and shoot it down. The FBI then turns up and arrest Mr. Poole for engaging in terrorist activities (threatening law enforcement with unmanned weaponry) and Mr. Poole is taken to a "detention center" for his "own safety" and we never hear form him again.

reply to post by Rockpuck

Too many people know...if they want to machinate and save their 'system'...they won't dare...

Many sub plots to the Occupy Movement...