ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA — Amazon is working on a pocket-sized drone that could revolutionize police work, help firefighters tackle blazes, and even find your lost car. <br /> <br />The tech giant was granted a U.S. patent on Tuesday for a miniature drone that would be fitted with microphones and a camera, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. <br /> <br />The drone would respond to voice commands, and has several potential functions. It could be used to find a missing child through face recognition, an RFID tag, or barcode on the child’s clothing. <br /> <br />Amazon also imagines the pocket-sized drones may help the police catch suspects. It could hover above traffic stops to record interactions between officers and citizens. <br /> <br />Firefighters could also use the drones to identify people trapped in burning buildings, or equip the devices with thermal imaging cameras to locate fire “hot spots”. <br /> <br />The technology may be used in search and rescue missions, for example, to find a downed airliner. <br /> <br />Civilian uses include finding your car when you forget where you parked, or simply filming cool stuff like a GoPro.
