37mm Camera Launcher

Vlad Gostom (@recompiler) and I (@quadling) spent a few weekends to burn parachutes, make the magic smoke come out of cameras, and dress up in enough tactical gear to choke a horse.  What did we accomplish?

A beginning.  We wanted to throw a camera that could push live video to receivers on the ground.  And we wanted to use a 37mm flare launcher to do the pushing.  Well, Vlad owns a launcher from Spike’s Tactical.  (Awesome people at Spike’s, by the way.  Their products rock, and their customer service is fantastic. We do not work for Spike’s.  We just like their stuff.)

Josh owns enough cameras to outfit a small Indian casino.  No, seriously.  So let’s try putting it together.

We managed to find small wireless cameras that would fit in Baby Soda Bottles (or Parison Tubes, for the pedantic).  Battery adapters were hand made, and hand wired.  Soldering lithium-ion batteries was fun, in a fatalistic way. Hey, you heat up something that burns, enthusiastically, and not be fatalistic!

Custom shells were acquired, ballistic tables calculated, and primers bought.  It’s time. Drumroll!

Well, it was an abject failure.  But a great success all at the same time.  The projectile only flew about 30 feet.  The video was not-so-good.  But it flew.  It worked.  We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but Vlad and I are convinced it’s workable.

So we presented on the matter at BsidesLV and Defcon.  Why would you present a firearm talk at a Hacker Con?  Ah!  Well, we’re hackers.  And the informational aspects of this make this a tool of Cyber war, or Ground Search and Rescue Info.

Um, people listened. Wow!

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/92192-home-made-grenade-launcher-digital-camera-shown-off-at-def-con

http://gizmodo.com/5828751/build-a-military+grade-camera+flinging-grenade-launcher-for-500-bucks

http://www.geekosystem.com/diy-camera-launcher/

http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-cetera/the-firefly-is-a-military-grade-grenade-launcher-that-shoots-a-wireless-camera-2011088/

http://www.techworld.com.au/article/396350/build_your_own_camera_launch_it_like_grenade/

http://cio-asia.com/tech/security/build-your-own-camera-launch-it-like-a-grenade/

http://geeks.thedailywh.at/2011/08/08/camera-drone-launcher-gun-of-the-day/

http://techshadez.ishadez.com/tag/marpet/

http://www.networkmirror.com/OIhtu2pQS35a635D/www.techworld.com.au/article/396350/build_your_own_camera_launch_it_like_grenade/index.html

http://www.cio.com.au/article/396350/build_your_own_camera_launch_it_like_grenade/

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9218962/Build_your_own_camera_launch_it_like_a_grenade

http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/396350/build_your_own_camera_launch_it_like_grenade/

http://todaysdefense.com/?p=6059

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/hackers-show-diy-defense-and-disaster-response-gear-at-defcon/2011/08/08/gIQAbmiu2I_story.html

http://www.cio.com/article/687365/Build_Your_Own_Camera_Launch_it_Like_a_Grenade

http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/08/hackers-show-diy-defense-and-disaster-response-gear-at-defcon/

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/08/08/0354228/Build-Your-Own-Camera-Launch-It-Like-a-Grenade

Couple things.  The photo in many of the stories is of me.  (Dear god)  Oleg Volk took the photo.  Oleg is a friend of ours, and a truly awesome photographer.  If you get a chance, please check out his site.  Olegvolk.net

There are many things unsaid in the articles.  Slashdot has some great questions and comments.  I’ve answered some, and I’ll answer any here too.

For now, I have a Blue Man Group show to go to, since we’re still in Vegas.  Talk to you a little later tonight!

Joshua

Edit: Looks like we made GeeksAreSexy!  Yes!

Also, we made a website called Sync, albeit with a few details wrong. We are aiming for 3-400 meters in the air, not 75, but hey, thanks for checking us out anyway!