Rescue Drone Sensor Can Detect Heartbeats, Breathing

A California robotics company wants to help save lives and its latest gadget may help do just that – from the air.

IntelliNet Sensors, self-described as a “developer of multi-sensor breathing detectors,” recently announced the launch of the Lynx6-A, a sensor that can be attached to a drone to detect breathing and heartbeat activity in search-and-rescue operations.

In a post-disaster scenario, the Lynx could be deployed to detect signs of life beneath building rubble, ground collapse or an avalanche, allowing a drone to locate victims using a micro-HD video camera. The company recently patented “Sense-Through-The-Air Technology” that allows users to network among the sensor-arrayed drones to find several victims in multiple-drone flights below ground level.

“By remotely landing the sensor in multiple points, extreme efficiency in set up and search time to detect trapped individuals can be achieved,” IntelliNet Sensors Founder and President Fred Mohamadi said in a company press release. “The rapid deployment within hard-to-reach areas allows first responders and law enforcement personnel to save many more lives in a highly stressful and noisy environment — a factor that traditional sensors are lacking,” he added.

Mohamadi added that “traditional solutions of seismic sensors are susceptible to environmental noise, K-9s are inefficient in windy conditions and due to high positive and negative false readings, and radar-based detectors lack the accuracy and effectiveness of [a Lynx-equipped drone].”

The Lynx is yet another example of drone tech emerging as one of the best solutions for search and rescue operations as well as post-disaster victim location.

Researchers at the University of Texas-Austin, led by engineering professor Maruthi R. Akella, have designed small drones to help the city’s Rescue Robotics team — the first American municipality to garner federal authorization to use drones for search and rescue (SAR). Inspired by the flight of hummingbirds, Akella’s nimble drones will be used to locate disaster victims or find the best way to fight fires.

Using drones in SAR is also garnering attention from the public-safety sector. In September, a coalition of public safety officers and UAV industry partners announced the formation of the Drone Advocates for Public Safety (DAPS), which will focus on training first responders in using drones to support their operations. The group will help officers understand how drones can be used in emergencies.

This month, Terrestrial Imaging announced the release of DroMight. The result of almost a year of research and development, the DroMight allows DJI Phantom users to attach a life line to the UAV that can then be flown to a victim in an emergency situation such as raging rivers or thin ice. Once a line is connected to a victim, a SAR team can provide additional support such as food, a two-way radio or cell phone, as well as a heavier line.