About once a year, some Florida-based police department likes to prove it’s more dystopian than any other in the state by unveiling some new, preposterous, entirely impractical gizmo that I guess is supposed to prove that they’re on the cutting edge of technology, but fails spectacularly to do so. Last year, it was an AI-powered autonomous police vehicle that can shoot out drones. The 2026 edition of this foolishness comes in the form of a very stupid-looking quadcopter for one.
Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland has officially integrated “Astro,” a flying electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, into its campus police department.
According to reporting from Fox13, the university paid nearly $150,000 for the modified Jetson ONE personal aircraft, complete with custom police decals and a tiny, hilarious light bar. Weighing 154 pounds without a battery or pilot, the single-seat hovercraft tops out at 65 mph.
The Tiny Flying Cop Car Is Kind of Precious, Right?
Visually, the machine is a joke unto itself, but you’ll soon realize its looks are just the setup. Here’s the punchline: its maximum flight time is only 20 minutes before the battery dies. As long as you can outrun the thing for less than the time it takes to watch an episode of Seinfeld, feel free to commit as many crimes as you want when it’s on patrol.
Officials still haven’t received final FAA approval for the aircraft, though they hope to get the green light by late 2026. Chief Aaron Murray defended the $150k price tag, claiming Astro will aid in search-and-rescue operations, post-storm recovery, and reaching inaccessible areas. The vehicle is also being used by local engineering and computer science students to design virtual reality training simulators for officers.
The post Florida University Police Department Unveils Tiny Flying Cop Car appeared first on vice.
