A new startup has introduced a controversial school safety system using high-speed drones called “Campus Guardian Angel,” aimed at enhancing security and assisting first responders during emergencies.
The drones, small enough to fit in a backpack, are equipped with cameras, glass-shattering metal tips, and pepper ball guns. According to the company, each drone can travel up to 100 miles per hour and reach any location on a school campus within seconds.
Company officials say the drones can reach a misbehaving student in as little as 15 seconds. Designed to support school resource officers, the drones can fire pepper balls and track movement across a digital twin of the school building in real-time.
The drones operate through a centralized managed response service. From a national operations center, remote pilots oversee surveillance, control flight paths, and respond to alerts. Multiple six-drone boxes are pre-placed throughout schools to allow the system to quickly launch from the nearest location.
The drones can move inside buildings at 30 to 50 mph and reach up to 100 mph outdoors. The company claims their drones can cross a typical high school campus in just eight seconds—two minutes faster than an officer on foot.
The company has not disclosed which school districts, if any, have adopted the technology. Critics and civil liberty groups have already raised concerns about student privacy and use-of-force protocols.
