Drones: a great help for rescue missions

The complexity of rescue operations can put rescue workers at risk. More and more search and rescue teams have therefore opted for drone technology to make their task easier.

The drone can quickly scan difficult-to-access terrain and large areas, gathering vital information and detecting the location of missing persons before responders arrive on the scene. Teams can then get the facts, so they can make the right decisions and act quickly.

What’s the point?

Around the world, emergency service providers are using drones because of their unique capabilities. Thanks to their contribution to various security operations and climatic emergencies, these machines have already saved thousands of lives.

In addition, to ensure public safety, the Covid19 pandemic encouraged the use of these flying devices. In Belgium, for example, during the containment period, the authorities used these flying devices to enforce pandemic-related rules and monitor cities.

In the field of public safety, these flying machines are used in a variety of situations. Particularly noteworthy is their use in search and rescue operations. The advantages are remarkable.

Their role in the search and rescue mission

An emergency drone is an unmanned aircraft used by emergency services such as rescue teams, fire departments or police. It is an exceptional device for searching for people in danger, whatever the environment.

After a disaster, such as a cyclone or earthquake, these machines can provide visual data and information in real time. Up there, they can help find a person lost in the forest, for example.

This device has been a great help to rescue workers and firefighters in recent years. It can film the fire while hovering over and approaching it, providing live images. As a result, the command center can quickly make decisions and give orders to the rescue team. Thanks to overviews, the work of fire-fighting teams to extinguish the flames will be better coordinated, while limiting human risks.

In this sector, IEDO promotes the use of these flying machines in search and rescue missions. At present, this international non-profit association has 650 members (gendarmes, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, humanitarian and customs associations).

How do these flying machines contribute to rescue operations?

There’s no question of replacing traditional techniques. These devices are needed to support existing methods and enhance the capabilities of rescue workers. In record time, they can provide rescue teams with a wealth of information. According to a study carried out by Black Channel, EENA and DJI, time saving is one of the greatest advantages of these devices in search and rescue operations. The study compared teams working solely on foot with teams using these flying machines, in various simulated search activities. As a result, teams equipped with these devices had a big advantage over their counterparts. In just three minutes, they were able to find people in difficulty.

In general, rescue workers use these machines to establish a rescue strategy, assess the situation and send messages to victims, while ensuring the safety of personnel.

What are the advantages of using these machines in rescue operations?

Search and rescue teams use these flying devices to keep their work under control. They can get to a location much more quickly, even in inaccessible places, than other devices. Here are some of the advantages of this technology:

Mapping disaster areas

These flying machines map the area safely and quickly when the mission requires total understanding of the terrain. Thermal maps, 3D cartographic models and 2D maps can be created, depending on the software and camera payload. These devices are ideal for gaining an overview of the situation during a disaster. For example, in Norway, these devices flew for 270 hours over 40 days to create and continuously update a map of the disaster zone during a landslide.

Its ability to see in the dark

These flying devices can locate missing persons in the dark. Thanks to a thermal camera, missing persons can be located using their body heat. This is an invaluable capability during night missions in avalanche-prone areas.

Communicating with people in danger

To communicate with missing persons, these flying machines can be fitted with a loudspeaker. This sends out a signal to let them know that help is on the way and that they’ve been located. In Croatia, for example, this method was used to find a missing woman.

Safety evaluation

Too much noise or a small movement can cause another slide in avalanche zones. This can further endanger those trapped. So a good drone can fly for a long time without excessive noise or turbulence. Rescuers also don’t have to stay in avalanche zones for long, as these devices reduce the time they have to spend there. They can therefore get to the site at a distance, and only go to the important areas.

What kind of equipment is needed for a first aid mission?

These small flying machines can fly with many different types of payload, depending on the situation. The thermal camera and the 4K wide-angle camera are the two most frequently used payloads during rescue missions.

On a mission like this, there’s little need to use a drone’s HD video. When you look at a still image, the resolution is lost. However, a high-resolution still image is very important for the teams searching for the missing person in the field. It can provide them with invaluable information. It is therefore preferable to use cameras that can film high-resolution still images.

Thermal cameras are also used in rescue operations, especially at night. Indeed, a thermal/IR camera is a camera capable of detecting infrared, a small fragment of electromagnetic waves. These are invisible to the naked eye. A thermal camera can therefore capture all infrared radiation. To show the varying degrees of temperature, the image will be displayed by the camera in different levels of gray or shades of color.

Pix4Dreact: Rapid 2D mapping for emergency operations

Pix4Dreact is the perfect software for using these flying devices during emergency operations. Easy to use, this software creates 2D maps in just a few minutes. It’s the perfect solution for emergency responders in complex, stressful situations.

Today, computers equipped with a graphics processing unit (GPU) will be able to create orthophotos more quickly. Pix4Dreact’s fast results will be a big plus, to boot. This is possible even without an Internet connection.

High-resolution cameras are capable of creating images that take longer to analyze. But to get results as quickly as possible, users can reduce the resolution. By unleashing the power of the computer’s existing data, GPU processing handles high-resolution maps without altering quality. When it matters most, this enables Pix4Dreact users to achieve faster processing.

To map an area, you simply need to fly the camera-equipped device using software such as Pix4D, downloadable for Android and iOS. Thanks to this app, the flight is automated while diverting the area concerned on a Google Maps background. The camera covers the area and captures photographs.

The Pix4Dreact software then compiles the photos on the computer, producing a 2D map in the form of a DSM (Digital Surface Model) and an orthophoto.

Basically, Pix4Dreact lets you create reports, measure coordinates and distances, locate points of interest and share them via the cloud or in ordinary formats (tiff, PDF…).

DJI: The world leader

DJI sets itself apart by its ambition to offer innovative, high-quality aircraft. To facilitate their search and rescue operations, first responders opt for this brand’s aerial technologies. Their rescue devices are all of the highest quality.

Here are some of the devices most commonly used during search and rescue operations:

DJI Mavic 2 Entreprise Advanced

This is one of the most powerful models on the market. This model is foldable and compact, and features advanced technologies for greater efficiency in flight. Equipped with an ultra-high-definition 4K camera, the Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced lets you take high-quality in-flight images. And with its gray color, it can remain unobtrusive in flight.

DJI Matrice 30T

It is ideal for all-weather reconnaissance. For example, the DJI Matrice 30T can help rescue workers inspect locations in the event of earthquakes, tsunamis or storms. This will make finding information much easier.

DJI Matrice 300 RTK

This is a high-performance professional device. With its Zenmuse H20T camera, the M300 RTK broadcasts high-quality images to support the rescue profession. It offers professionals a smarter, safer solution.

 

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