How Instant Action Drone-based Systems can help in an emergency

These are just a couple of examples of an ongoing trend which calls for us to respond as a society. Big-picture solutions must be implemented, and a collective shift in how we view climate change and intend to offset it is necessary.

However, there’s also the need for more instant help. After all, boardroom discussions and political summits won’t address the pressing immediacy of these disasters.

What could provide more time-sensitive solutions to emergencies is instant action drone-based systems.

Autonomous drones are automated, self-flying aerial devices. They require minimal human intervention to operate. They utilise advanced sensors, software algorithms, and flight control systems to follow pre-established flight plans. Additionally, they can perform specific manoeuvres, follow waypoints, and complete complicated missions.

Here’s a list of features drones offer that help with emergency management:

AI Integration

The AI integration within instant-action drone systems means they can provide precise data in real time. This technology enables quicker situational assessments so drones can follow the appropriate course of action based on autonomous tech implementations.

Real-time imagery

Emergency personnel can fine-tune rescue operation planning with instant-acting drone systems and their real-time imaging capabilities. The current conditions at a given scene can be reported accurately.

When the relevant personnel have this vital data, they can respond more promptly to incidents and with more success.

Thermal Imaging

Rescue workers stand to benefit from emergency drones because they often have built-in thermal lighting that aids in assessing hard-to-reach regions (e.g., damaged buildings and peaks).

Specifically, multispectral sensors detect body heat, helping rescuers find people fast.

Reliable weather forecasting

Drones’ multispectral sensors tune into weather forecasts. They record humidity and wind speeds to forecast climate and weather accurately.

A broad scope of surveillance

Search and rescue missions can take days to complete, often requiring rescuers to navigate dangerous conditions. Drones increase the speed of monitoring and surveillance to offer a seamless workflow, streamlining associated emergency response efforts.

Instantaneous deployment

A crucial advantage of instant-action drones is their instantaneous nature.

Since they’re deployed rapidly to high-probability areas, they narrow the search area size and make it more specific.

Speed is vital in these scenarios since it’s less likely to find people as the minutes go by.

Also, drone sizes, capacities, weights, and batteries allow them to move swiftly through the air–even more so than a helicopter.

Covering more distance in less time

Rescuers are vastly limited in how quickly they can rake or square a large area. Drones capable of flying 50 km/h-plus at a reasonable height enable teams to arrive promptly to scenes while minimising the search areas, ensuring more efficient processes and saving time.

Even one drone can make a sizeable difference.

As such, multiple instant action drones–comprising a system–simultaneously working together can cover a vast amount of space, making a monumental difference in streamlining rescue efforts.

Below, we’ll explore real-life examples of drones saving lives:

The Nepal Earthquake of 2015

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal in April 2015, claiming over 9,000 lives and exacting widespread destruction.

During this catastrophe, drones helped with rescue missions after much of the damage was done. The unmanned aerial devices searched for body heat with the help of their thermal payloads.

While flying over debris and rubble to find trapped survivors, the drones mapped the disaster area. They were able to identify inaccessible areas to on-ground rescue teams.

Bushfires in Australia

The worst bushfire season in history hit Australia in January 2020. Wildlife and homes were destroyed, while 30 people lost their lives.

Multiple successful drone search and rescue missions occurred in the bushfires’ aftermath. The autonomous aerial systems perused hotspots and still-burning areas. They also flew over impacted areas, bolstering on-ground rescue team efforts with real-time data.

This real-time information helped identify areas needing immediate assistance while assessing the total damage caused.

Hurricane Maria

Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria in September 2017, subjecting the US territory to mass devastation.

Drones helped with search and rescue initiatives in the hurricane’s immediate aftermath. They had thermal imaging and high-resolution cameras to detect body heat. They could easily fly over affected areas to detect stranded people. Rescue teams could be directed to those locations from there.

The drones could also assess the damage and flag areas needing the most immediate help.

California Hikers

Two hikers went missing for over a week after wandering off California’s San Gabriel Mountain trail in May 2020. They were surrounded by dangerous conditions and treacherous terrain, impeding conventional search efforts.

Thus, the LA County Sheriff’s Department implemented drones to aid their search and rescue attempts.

Cameras were put into the drones, as was thermal imaging technology to detect body heat. After the drones flew over the rugged terrain, the missing hikers were located, and the ground team rescued them.

As rescue efforts become more crucial in an age where mass-scale emergencies are more prevalent, the related tools and technologies must be up to the challenge.

Drone technology with AI integrations will give human rescue teams an added advantage in streamlining their efforts.

This is another example of AI helping humans. Many fear that the related technologies will make us obsolete in professional spheres. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth–especially in emergency response initiatives. After all, drones can’t do the rescuing. Humans are still the heroes in these scenarios, and AI-powered drone systems will only increase that heroism.

While more big-picture efforts will be necessary to stave off the climate crisis and limit these wide-scale catastrophes, emergencies will always be a part of human life. Having tools like drones to limit the damage will offer societies–and the people with them–unparalleled peace of mind.