UNMANNED SYSTEMS: Industry, Academia Developing ‘droids for First Responders
February 11, 2014 at 12:38 am 1 comment
Helping First Responders
Robotic systems aren’t just for helping police pursue fleeing criminals or investigate suspicious packages.
Last summer, the California Air National Guard used a Predator unmanned aircraft like this one to help state authorities monitor the Rim Fire blaze near Yosemite National Park.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Paul Duquette)
From monitoring wildfires to patrolling busy harbors, industry, government and academia are exploring how unmanned vehicles can assist emergency responders on land, sea and air.
In addition to research at the University of Hawaii and Oklahoma State University, small companies in Florida and California to big ones in Massachusetts are modifying existing vehicles to aid search and rescue operations or creating new systems with sensors focused on looking for signs of trouble far from first responders.
To learn more about this re-purposing of technology first developed to assist the military, check out our article in the latest (February) issue of Unmanned Systems, the magazine of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (subscription required).
Entry filed under: Aircraft, Counter Terrorism, Disaster Relief, National Security and Defense, Skills and Training, Technology, Unmanned Aircraft, Unmanned Systems, Weaponry and Equipment. Tags: aerospace, counter terrorism, Disaster Relief, first responders, Homeland Security, Topics, UAS, UAV, unmanned aircraft, unmanned ground systems, unmanned maritime vessels.
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Brittius | February 11, 2014 at 6:46 am
Reblogged this on Brittius.com and commented:
An unnecessary intrusion the majority of times. Limited use may be prudent in difficult circumstances. Best not to have drones.