Unmanned aerial vehicles (also referred to as UAVs) are creating a literal buzz in the search and rescue sector for their unprecedented ability to gather highly accurate information in real time for a variety of tasks, everything from car and boating accidents to natural disasters of catastrophic force.
Most people are familiar with the military’s use of drones for special operations in areas like Afghanistan and Libya, mountainous terrain that is hard to navigate by traditional methods, but unmanned drones for civilian use is a new concept that is emerging for personal, everyday use. While some companies are using them for delivering goods to customers or taking aerial pictures, the search and rescue aspect’s full potential still remains to be seen. Current search and rescue techniques can be frustratingly costly and time-consuming, often requiring essential manpower that might not be available; adding drones to the mix can drastically reduce rescue times and could save untold amounts of lives with little effort.
Imagine a wildfire breaking out in the arid desert air of Arizona, the ground too enflamed to decide where to begin fighting the blaze. UAVs can be remotely deployed to assess the situation from the air, relaying immediate information to the firefighters who will be extinguishing the fire. They will be able to see if there are people or wildlife that need to be cleared from the area, as well as other landmarks and ground information pertinent to the situation at hand; data of that nature makes the rescue effort much more efficient while possibly saving natural habitats that might otherwise be destroyed.
Insurance companies will eventually be able to send out their personal fleets upon an emergency call to collect crash-scene data immediately, not only taking pictures for further assessment but also communicating with a vehicle’s motherboard, a “black box” scenario to help adjusters make their decisions quickly, accurately and with little human error. Current versions of unmanned drones have up to a two-mile radius, painting a specific picture for that leaves room for little misunderstanding. In addition to search and rescue and disaster response, this technology can also potentially scan for power lines that have come down in a storm, reducing electrocution and downtime for clients.
Civil Logistics understands this technology is a breakthrough for disaster situations all over the world and is committed to following the development of unmanned aerial vehicles to aid our efforts at rebuilding and collecting relative data. We focus on embracing every available means of humanitarian and emergency response technology possible.
