At a fraction of the cost of a helicopter, it’s no surprise that public safety agencies and media companies are eyeing drones for serious work. But how to monitor and control them? The Trident is a converted Mercedes-Benz van that can act as a complete mobile command post for drones.

From the outside, the drone looks much like the existing command vehicles used by law enforcement or broadcasters, thanks to two antennae on the roof.

That similarity extends to the inside. Two large flat-panel displays dominate a control desk and can be used to show video feeds from two to eight different sources.

Those feeds can come into the truck directly from optical or infrared cameras in drones and surveillance cameras or through microwave downlinks on helicopters.

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