Not at the Border Security Expo, where the tiny drones outfitted with cameras were part of an arsenal of technology aimed at keeping America safe.

For two days this week, the 30,000-square foot exhibit hall at the Phoenix Convention Center was a smorgasbord of those unmanned aerial vehicles, high-tech sensors, surveillance cameras, wireless technologies, cutting-edge security systems, military-style body armor, high-powered rifles and large and small-wheeled vehicles. The Pointman Tactical Robot, a remote-controlled gizmo that climbs stairs and can be mounted with a weapon, turned many heads as it rolled around the floor.

The smallest of the three hanging aircraft, known as the Qube, is the latest high-tech eye in the sky promoted by AeroVironment Inc. of Monrovia, Calif. "This could be assembled and launched out of the back of a vehicle to provide surveillance within five minutes in an emergency situation," said marketing manager David Heidel.