High-Tech $10 Million NYPD Helicopter on the Job

[Terry Olaes]

The chopper, named “23” for the number of officers killed on 9/11, contains surveillance equipment that can read license plates and scan pedestrian faces. As expected, civil rights advocates are skeptical of the enhanced capabilities of this aircraft and are afraid that the NYPD can use it for “peeping tom” activity. Blue Thunder would be proud.

The helicopter's powers of observation come from a high-powered robotic camera mounted on a turret projecting from its nose like a periscope. The camera has infrared night-vision capabilities and a satellite navigation system that allows police to automatically zoom in on a location by typing in the address on a computer keyboard.

 

[Flyingcrazy]

Very cool

 

[Shark-MegaByte]

This thing is too dangerous to be left in unenlightened (government) hands.

 

[sfsuphysics]

hehehe, first thing I thought of was Blue Thunder... but then NYPD had to go fucking ruin it with another homage to 9/11... *sigh*