OGDEN -- It's small, nearly silent and can capture video and photos in high definition.
"The Surveiller" is a quadcopter recently developed by a team from Weber State University. The team was given a chance this week to showcase its work at the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Caucus Technology Fair on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
"We're very proud of the way Weber State University can contribute to this important national matter," said Bradley Stringer, executive director of WSU's aviation initiative.
Stringer said the group was selected by Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, to attend the fair in Washington.
He described the quadcopter as a 3-foot-long, 1-foot-tall machine with four engines and a rotary wing. It is capable of hovering and is very quiet.
The Surveiller can be launched from any flat surface and can be operated by remote control or can use an autopilot-like program for a programmed flight.
It is fitted with an HD-camera package and can transmit both live video and still photos to a ground station.
Stringer said WSU has been working to develop a UAV for several years. He said the Surveiller has many differences that give it a leg up over other UAV devices.
"There's a lot of different designs, well over 150," he said. "One thing we've done is make it small, and easily flown and transported. And at a price point that is affordable."
Stringer said the Surveiller was developed, ideally, for future use with law enforcement or the military.
"If you were to use it in law enforcement and they want to observe somebody with it, or in battlefield scenarios, you don't want to draw attention to the device."
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