Drone Radar by Mainline

Put a spare iPhone on duty. Help grow a community acoustic sensing network and train the algorithm to recognize drone-like engine sounds more accurately.

Turn your iPhone into part of a community acoustic radar network.

Drone Radar listens for sound patterns that may match drone engines. Analysis happens on the device. When the app finds a likely match, it uploads a short audio sample and location context for further analysis. It does not continuously stream your surroundings.

PUT A SPARE PHONE ON DUTY

Place it by a window or in a sheltered outdoor location, connect it to power, and let it listen. Every contributing phone expands coverage, and every useful recording helps build a more accurate real-world dataset.

HOW IT WORKS

• On-device analysis looks for drone-like engine sounds. • Only short candidate clips are uploaded. • Precise location is used privately to place detections; the public map obscures the sensor’s exact location. • A live status view shows when your sensor is listening and what it has detected.

A COMMUNITY-BUILT NETWORK

One phone can hear only so much. A network of phones can cover streets, neighborhoods, and eventually much larger areas. Your spare device can become a small but meaningful part of a shared protective network.

CURRENT STAGE

Drone Radar is in an early data-collection stage. It does not yet provide emergency alerts and must not be relied upon for safety-critical decisions. This release helps collect real-world samples and improve reliable drone recognition.

PRIVACY

Audio is analyzed on-device. An uploaded candidate clip may contain nearby voices, and detection records include precise location. This data is private and used only to operate and improve Drone Radar. The app does not use advertising tracking.

Microphone and precise location access are required for detection. Notifications are optional.