Abstract
The use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is becoming increasingly frequent during search and rescue (SAR) operations conducted to find missing persons. These systems have proven to be particularly useful for operations executed in the wilderness, i.e., in open and mountainous areas. The successful implementation of those systems is possible thanks to the potential offered by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which help achieve a considerable reduction in operational times and consequently allow a much quicker finding of lost persons. This is crucial to enhance their chances of survival in extreme conditions (withholding hydration, food and medicine, and hypothermia). The paper presents the results of a preliminary assessment of a search and rescue method conducted in an unknown terrain, where groups were coordinated with the use of UAVs and a ground control station (GCS) workstation. The conducted analysis was focused on assessing conditions that would help minimise the time of arrival of the rescue team to the target, which in real conditions could be a missing person identified on aerial images. The results of executed field tests have proven that the time necessary to reach injured persons can be substantially shortened if imaging recorded by UAV is deployed, as it considerably enhances the chance of survival in an emergency situation. The GCS workstation is also one of the crucial components in the search system, which assures image transmission from the UAV to participants of the search operation and radio signal amplification in a difficult terrain. The effectiveness of the search system was tested by comparing the arrival times of teams equipped with GPS and a compass and those not equipped with such equipment. The article also outlined the possibilities of extending the functionality of the search system with the SARUAV module, which was used to find a missing person in Poland.
Highlights
Every year ca. 20,000–30,000 people go missing in Poland
The analysis shows that there are several image recognition systems on the market, but only SARUAV works offer a ready-made map, which makes it possible to determine the area that could be reached by the missing subject, based on their speed and taking into account terrain difficulties
The solution adopted in Scenario 1 allowed the development of a precise, up-to-date map of operations on the entire area of over 25 ha in less than 20 min
Summary
Most of them are found on the day of their disappearance, but approximately 4000 continue to be missing over a longer period [1]. As it comes to search and rescue operations, the key factor in this type of situation is the time required to reach the missing person.
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