This drone has been outfitted with an anti-drone net gun. (Photo: FliteTest/Youtube)
Though they look like something out of a superhero comic book, net launchers and net guns are devices that exist in the real world. They're mainly used to humanely trap wild animals, or, in some cases, humans. Lately, they've taken on a new role: as a weapon in the fight against commercial drones flying in unauthorized airspace, be that over a classified military base or above a Russian ren faire.
Net guns are exactly what they sound like: guns (or similar devices) that fire out a net. While this may sound like something a 10-year-old would make up for Batman to carry around, the technology and industry of net guns has been growing for years. According to Travis Peters, owner of Net Gun Store, one of the leading retailers of net guns, the non-lethal projectiles have been growing in popularity since around 2006.