An Israeli company is proposing to use flying drones as virtual security guards in American shopping malls and other public spaces.

The XTEND drone design, expected to launch next year, would join a growing number of unmanned aerial vehicles on the market with applications ranging from agriculture to defense. The XTEND drone would be operated remotely using a video-link system called telepresence.

“The vision of telepresence is to save people’s lives,” XTEND CEO Aviv Shapira said in a video interview. “Why would you put yourself in danger as a soldier, a firefighter, a police officer by going into deep physical danger when you can control a machine remotely.”

Drones could be useful as security devices, experts say. “The FAA does not regulate the use of aircraft flown indoors, so the focus shifts to public safety leaders, their insurers and the community to determine what can and should be done in a shopping mall or large business,” Anthony Pucciarella, president of MissionGO, said in an email interview. “There is a viable use case for systems that patrol an empty mall after hours, allowing fewer security personnel to more effectively monitor a large indoor area.”