Scientists at Michigan Tech University have made an interceptor drone that is capable of "catching" other drones using a mounted net cannon. It can capture up to 40' away.
Hmm .. watching their video I'm wondering about its effectiveness against a moving target?
Professor Rastgaar who invented this doesn't sound like the most practical guy ... (but perhaps he could still make a fortune selling to the military).
Drone Catcher: "Robotic Falcon" can Capture, Retrieve Renegade Drones
Rastgaar, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Michigan Technological University, began work on a drone catcher, which could pursue and capture rogue drones that might threaten military installations, air traffic, sporting events—even the White House.
For this to work at say a stadium, they would need to have a fleet of these things only a few hundred metres apart around the stadium, all on standby ready to launch instantly and with experienced crews.
According to the professor
“The FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] has just announced that drones must be registered, and we think the catcher could help enforce the law by catching unregistered drones,”
And he thinks he can help with that?
OK professor ... how many dogcatcher drones do you think you need to deploy around the US and how are they going to identify these unregistered drones that are such a big problem that must be dealt with?
Back to the drawing board?
I think the professor should get outdoors a little more and go fly a Phantom occasionally.