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Lithuania Turns Old Smartphones into Drone Detectors in Citizen Security Initiative
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Technology

Lithuania Turns Old Smartphones into Drone Detectors in Citizen Security Initiative

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Lithuania is launching a citizen-led initiative to use old smartphones as acoustic sensors for drone detection.
  • The project aims to supplement official warning systems by collecting real-time data on aerial objects.
  • Over 10,000 users are targeted to expand the network across the Baltic states and Poland.

Lithuania is mobilizing its citizens to bolster national security through an innovative initiative that repurposes old smartphones into drone detection sensors. The "Drone Radar" project, spearheaded by Audrius Zujus, aims to create a network of acoustic sensors capable of identifying and tracking aerial objects in real-time.

This is not just a technological solution, but also a civic initiative that encourages more active public participation in strengthening the country's security.

— Audrius ZujusFounder of the startup, explaining the project's dual nature.

Zujus emphasizes that this is not merely a technological solution but a civic undertaking designed to enhance the country's security. The project invites individuals to contribute their unused Android phones, transforming them into acoustic sensors that feed data into a shared monitoring network. This initiative is intended to complement existing state warning systems, providing authorities with more precise and timely information about potential threats.

Today, we are surrounded by numerous devices that see, hear, and record the environment. Our goal is to connect these sensors into a common network that helps create an additional layer of security for the public and strengthens the country's resilience.

— Audrius ZujusExplaining the broader vision of the drone detection initiative.

"Today, we are surrounded by numerous devices that see, hear, and record the environment. Our goal is to connect these sensors into a common network that helps create an additional layer of security for the public and strengthens the country's resilience," Zujus stated. He clarified that the platform is not meant to be another air raid alert app but rather to assist the state in gathering more comprehensive data on aerial movements.

We are not trying to create another air raid alert app. We want to help the state collect more and more accurate data about objects moving in the air, and give people the opportunity to actively contribute to the common security of the country.

— Audrius ZujusClarifying the project's role in national security.

The system operates by analyzing ambient sounds for specific low-frequency signals characteristic of drone engines, such as those from "Shahed" type drones. When multiple sensors in proximity detect the same signal, the system can triangulate the object's potential location. The project involves a monitoring platform with an interactive public map and a dedicated sensor application for volunteers.

A phone is the quickest and most accessible way to start building such a network. In the future, they can be improved, supplemented with more professional equipment. We will be able to track trajectories and provide the broadest and most interesting information possible to the military and the state, so that they can make the necessary decisions better.

— Audrius ZujusOn the practicality and future potential of using smartphones.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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