UPS has announced its participation in a multi-state study on the use of drones for humanitarian disaster relief operations. The study was coordinated by Measure, a 32 Advisors Company specializing in drone applications, on behalf of the American Red Cross and participating companies, including UPS. The study was initiated to help inform decision-making on key issues related to drone use and policy.
Category Archives: First Responders
US Red Cross Studies Drones for Disaster Relief
A new study, commissioned by the American Red Cross, calls drones one of the most promising and powerful new technologies to improve disaster response and relief efforts. Continue reading
Drones Hold Great Promise For Medical Applications
In some remote parts of the world, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are already being field-tested for medical uses. Drones successfully delivered small aid packages after the Haitian earthquake in 2012, and in Papua New Guinea, Doctors Without Borders used them to transport dummy TB test samples from a remote village to the large coastal city of Kerema.
Lifeguard Drones Tested in Chile
A company in Chile is hoping to use drones to save lives. Drones fitted with a float, camera, microphone and speaker are being tested on the beaches of Algarrobo to help lifeguards rescue distressed swimmers. Continue reading
American Millionaire using Unmanned Helicopters to Rescue African Migrants at Sea
Christopher Catrambone is an immigrant himself, having moved his family to Malta from his native New Orleans to flee the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Last year, he and his wife Regina say they invested “nearly 50 per cent of our savings” — $US7.5 million — to purchase a 130-foot search and rescue ship, two drones and two inflatable boats, then put them to sea complete with a crew of technical and medical experts. Continue reading
UAS to Assess Disaster Damage
Doug Stow, a geography professor from San Diego State University, is developing a programme that uses before-and-after aerial imagery to reveal infrastructure damage in a matter of minutes. Continue reading
Autonomous Quadcopter for Fire-Fighting Inside Ships
In a demonstration aboard a former U.S. Navy ship, a small quadrotor developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute and spin-off company Sensible Machines flew autonomously through dark, smoke-filled compartments to map fires and locate victims. Continue reading
Norway Wants UAS to aid Search and Rescue
As Norway’s polar waters open to development, that country’s lawmakers are becoming increasingly convinced that drones could serve as a potentially life-saving tool in the event of a maritime accident. Members of the Storting, Norway’s national assembly, gathered representatives from the industry last week to discuss how drones take over operations currently performed by manned aircraft.