Getting the whole picture of emergency situations Research and industry partners in the ResponDrone project are developing an integrated solution designed to give first responders a fuller picture of a disaster situation or emergency like a forest fire or flood, which can then guide operational decisions, as the coordinators of the project, Max Friedrich and Joonas Lieb of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) explain. A first response team arriving at the scene of a disaster or an emergency needs to understand the nature of the situation they face if they are to respond effectively. The use of drones can provide first responders with a detailed picture of the situation without putting human lives at unnecessary risk, a topic at the heart of the ResponDrone project. “We are developing an integrated system to be used in first response missions during disasters or emergencies, such as large forest fires, floods, or search and rescue missions,” explains Joonas Lieb. Often first responders do not know what to expect when facing a large forest fire or flood, an issue the project aims to address. “The ResponDrone system will rapidly provide an initial overview of the situation,” says Lieb.
ResponDrone project The system is designed to enable the operation of multiple drones simultaneously, so that large areas can be covered and relevant, real-time information provided to any first responder with access to the
system. The information gathered can then inform decisions on the ground. “The first responders have two possibilities to interact with the system. A desktop interface is meant to be used as an on-site command centre and a mobile application for the first response units in the field. The desktop interface will basically be a map on which you can see where your drones and the in-field first responders are. You can then supervise and manage the mission,” Friedrich outlines. “The first responders out in the field will have the
for flying the drones. “The system itself essentially identifies the trajectory that a drone should take. The operator says that they want to have a drone at a given point, but they don’t have to specify how it gets there,” says Lieb. While drones are already used to some extent in emergency response, they may need to operate closely alongside each other, underlining the importance of this work in de-conflicting flight trajectories. “You definitely don’t want to have a mid-air collision,” stresses Lieb. “I would expect the
We are developing an integrated system to be used in the response to disasters and emergencies, such as large forest fires, floods, or search and rescue missions. mobile app installed on their cell-phone or tablet, and they can have a live video feed from the camera mounted on the drone. They can also direct the drone to a certain point, for example if they want to know what’s on the other side of a house or river.” A single operator can fly multiple drones under the ResponDrone system, which Lieb views as one of the major benefits. The drones provide their information to a single system which can de-conflict their flight trajectories, so less people are required
use of drones to increase significantly in the future, as they are easier and faster to deploy, and not as expensive as manned helicopters.” The system also enhances communications resilience in what can be extremely challenging environments. In a large wildfire, communication infrastructures may break down for example, an issue the ResponDrone project is working to address. “Our system is able to extend the communication network by providing an on-demand wi-fi coverage to the first responders and potential victims in the
Mobile application for first response units in the field.
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