Modern UAVs do everything from processing of fields of chemicals to wildlife. The Swiss air rescue service Rega has announced that it has a drone developed by the Swiss Air Rescue, which is able to search and find missing people.
Thanks to the many built-in sensors, including visible spectrum cameras, thermal imaging, and infrared, as well as a system phone tracking, the UAV can scan large areas of countryside where there are missing people.
A specially developed algorithm processes the data coming from the different cameras installed on the Rega, and identify situations of interest to rescuers, after which the information comes to the processing of remote operators. The drone can operate in poor visibility conditions that, for example, makes a manned rescue helicopters to land.
Rega are equipped with a three-bladed rotor with a diameter of 2 meters. It can fly at altitudes up to 100 meters, using the methods of satellite navigation to methodically examine a specific area. Search sensors work in conjunction with the system for preventing collisions with power lines and other aircraft.
Currently, the Rega is in the testing stage, and while his rescue capabilities are limited by the provision of additional assistance to helicopters already in service. It is expected that a full-fledged independent search for it will begin in 2020.
Source — Rega