An unmanned, helium-filled "cop-in-the-sky" blimp — capable of flying four to six hours on batteries — would float over Ogden, 30 miles north of Salt Lake City. The high-tech idea is being developed by the Utah Center for Aeronautical Innovation and Design (UCAID) at Weber State University.

Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey unveiled the concept during a City Council session this week.

"You'd have multiple cameras on one ship, and you'd have a visual of a much larger area," Godfrey said. "The cost savings that this can deliver is very significant, and the deterrent factor, if this technology works as it has for the military, is huge."

[link to seattletimes.nwsource.com]