Automakers looking for ways to defend from spying drones?

Spy photographers have a few tools at their disposal to get the shot of that latest model from an automaker. They know where they test. They know when they're running the cars. They have long lenses and lots of patience. These days, some of them might also consider turning to a drone for increased aerial spy support. Automakers know this and, according to Autoblog, they might be seeking ways to combat the coming aerial imagery battle.

Automakers know how to disguise their products when they test them on public streets. They use ugly body cladding and the potentially misleading camouflage wraps.

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There are other times, however, when an automaker is using its own private testing facility to wring out a new vehicle. Here is where a drone could swoop in and snag some far-too-early-for-primetime photos. We doubt any of the top spy photographers would resort to such methods.

Still, others could be interested in capturing such imagery and offering it up for sale. There are FAA privacy rules against it, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

With that in mind, automakers are looking at ways to put a stop to this practice. One answer may be coming from the German company Deutsche Telekom, which is working with developers on ways to keep drones out of certain areas. The American company Dedrone also has a DroneTracker system that can locate drones more than half a mile away. We're sure that more creative and interesting means of inhibiting drones are coming down the road as well.

This is the type of problem that reminds us that we're living in a fascinating age of affordable technology.

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