Acoustic sensing
Every drone
makes a sound.
We're building sensors that locate drones in 3D by listening, starting with contraband drops over prison walls.
Get in touchContraband is arriving by drone.
- 201823 reported in 2018
- 2024more than 479 reported in 2024
Between 2021 and 2024, the Bureau of Prisons installed drone detection at 64 of its 121 facilities, so part of the rise comes from looking harder. FBI and DOJ testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee
Georgia's Operation Skyhawk led to 150 arrests. Investigators seized 87 drones, 273 phones and 22 weapons.
Office of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, March 2024In June 2026, federal prosecutors charged 12 people over at least 38 drone drops into 10 federal prisons.
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Georgia, June 2026Drones deliver drugs, phones and weapons. Federal prisons regularly see overdose deaths from drone-delivered narcotics.
FBI and DOJ testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee
How it works
A drone's propellers make noise whether or not its radio is on. Our sensors are designed to hear that noise, work out where the drone is, and show staff where it made its drop.
Listen
Microphone arrays on posts around the perimeter pick up propeller noise.
Locate
Sound reaches each microphone at a slightly different time. Those tiny differences give the drone's position in 3D, including its height.
Mark the drop spot
The system follows the flight and marks where the drone stopped, so staff can get to the spot before inmates do.
Why sound
Radio detectors listen for the link between a drone and its pilot, but a drone flying a pre-programmed route can travel with its radio off. Cameras need light and a clear view. Sound needs neither, and it doesn't depend on the drone transmitting anything.
Where we are
We're at the early prototype stage. Our array has located a sound source in 3D indoors, but its accuracy isn't ready for the field yet. Outdoor tests with real drones come next.
PrototypeNow
A microphone array that locates a sound source in 3D, indoors.
Field tests
Tracking real drones outdoors.
Facility pilot
Sensors running at a partner facility.
The timing matters. Since July 2026, state and local corrections agencies can seek federal certification to counter drones. Federal Register, July 2026
Team
Andrew and Jacobe are building Aetherus Labs at Entrepreneurs First in San Francisco.
Andrew Choutka
Co-founder
Aerospace engineering student at Purdue University. Andrew built the first Aetherus prototype, a microphone array that locates a sound source in 3D, and before that worked on software that uses flight-tracking data to predict when aircraft are due for maintenance, so repair shops can reach those operators first.
Jacobe West
Co-founder
Physics student at the University of Houston, from Corpus Christi. Jacobe's father spent more than 20 years in law enforcement, including as a deputy constable for Nueces County, and Jacobe's mother worked as a correctional officer and saw the drone contraband problem firsthand.
Talk to us
We're looking for facilities and agencies to help shape this. Tell us about the drone activity you're seeing, or ask us anything.
Prefer email? Write to contact@aetheruslabs.com.