Gallery: Surplus Predator Drone Container Morphs Into War Protest Machine

  • Drone Readymade
    01

    drone-readymade

    *The Drone Readymade, with the Port of San Diego’s industrial skyline in the background.* Photo: The Periscope Project
  • Mysterious Origins
    02

    mysterious-origins

    *The MQ-1 Predator Drone container at a military salvage site in Ramona, California.* Photo: Periscope Project
  • Tricky Transport
    03

    tricky-transport

    *Simple machines: unloading the drone container at the Periscope Project site.* Photo: Periscope Project
  • Poway Police Incident
    04

    poway-police-incident

    *Altercation: Police in Poway, California question Periscope Project members about the contents of their U-Haul after a tip-off from a worried General Atomics employee.* Photo: Periscope Project
  • Original Destination Details
    05

    original-destination-details

    *On the container, San Diego orca stickers near a label with details about the item’s origin and destination. A different label listed the container’s price of $17,647.00. James Enos said a Predator drone costs $1.2 to $3 million.* Photo: John Hanacek/Calit2, UC San Diego
  • Set up at Night
    06

    set-up-at-night

    *Drone readymade, fore, San Diego night sky, aft.* Photo: Periscope Project
  • Interior Decoration
    07

    interior-decoration

    *Benches and built-in shelving inside the refurbished drone case, on display at the “Drones at Home” exhibit at UCSD’s gallery@calit2 space, March 2012.* Photo: John Hanacek/Calit2, UC San Diego
  • At UCSD
    08

    at-ucsd

    *On site at the Drones at Home opening, UC San Diego.* Photo: John Hanacek/Calit2, UC San Diego
  • Avengers Appearance
    09

    avengers-appearance

    *“Hidden in plain sight”: crates of MQ-1 Predator drones, with orange plastic lids to spare the fiberglass, stacked up in a still from Joss Whedon’s 2012 superhero movie*, The Avengers.
Read More
The Best Ski Clothes for Staying Warm and Having Fun
From weatherproof jackets and pants to puffers, gloves, and socks, WIRED’s winter sports experts have you covered.
Chris Haslam
The Best Apple Watch Accessories
You finally caved and bought an Apple Watch. These are our favorite bands, screen protectors, and chargers to go with your new smartwatch.
Adrienne So
The Best Automatic Litter Boxes Tested by Our Spoiled Cats
With these high-tech automatic litter boxes, gone are the days of scooping and smells. Welcome to the future.
Molly Higgins
Give Your Back a Break With Our Favorite Office Chairs
Sitting at a desk for hours? Upgrade your WFH setup and work in style with these comfy WIRED-tested seats.
Julian Chokkattu
The Best Heart Rate Monitors Check Your Cardiac Health
These chest straps and watches will help you keep your finger on your pulse—and many other heart-related metrics.
Michael Sawh
The Best Game Controller for Every Kind of Player
A great gamepad instantly levels up your play. These are our top picks for Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.
Brad Bourque
Death to Dry Skin. These Humidifiers Are Better Than Chapstick
From models for traveling to humidifiers that double as planters or air purifiers, we've tested a dozen of them.
Matthew Korfhage
The Best Podcasts for Everyone
Get your fix of tech, true crime, pop culture, or comedy with these audio adventures. 
Simon Hill
The Best Kids' Bikes for Every Age and Size
The WIRED Reviews team has kids, and we tested all types of kids’ bikes. Here are our top picks.
Adrienne So
The Best iPad to Buy (and a Few to Avoid)
We break down the current iPad lineup to help you figure out which of Apple’s tablets is best for you.
Luke Larsen
The Best Portable Chargers for All Your Devices
Keep your phone, laptop, handheld gaming console, and other electronics running with these travel-friendly power banks.
Simon Hill
The 11 Best Electric Bikes for Every Kind of Ride
I tested the best electric bikes in every category, from commuters and mountain bikes to foldables and cruisers.
Adrienne So