A startup that goes by the name of Riderless Technologies has invented an innovative and high-tech portable drone that is capable of detecting hikers who may be lost in the wilderness.
This drone is specifically tuned to the deeply rugged Canadian wilderness which is popular with hikers but also poses a variety of hazards to those hikers who may go off course. The drone doesn't autonomously traverse trails; however, it is small enough to shove into a backpack and be taken through the woods. It can be unpacked and set in motion in as little as 10 seconds, and can stay in the air for 15 minutes at a time. Over the course of these 15 minutes, it can use its infrared camera to stream video to a portable display that can record the video.
With drones showing a lot of promise in search-and-rescue contexts, the adaptation of a rescue drone to meet specific challenges of wilderness rescue is something that could save lives.
Hiker-Rescuing Drones
This Portable Drone Detects Hikers Lost In the Canadian Wilderness
Trend Themes
1. Wilderness Rescue Drones - Development of drones specifically designed to rescue hikers lost in the wilderness present opportunity for disruptive innovation in search-and-rescue technologies.
2. Portable Search-and-rescue Drones - Development of portable drones capable of detecting lost hikers may disrupt current search-and-rescue industry standards and lead to new applications.
3. Infrared Surveillance Drone Technology - Incorporation of infrared surveillance technology in search-and-rescue drones could disrupt not only mobile video technologies, but also current search-and-rescue strategies.
Industry Implications
1. Search-and-rescue Industry - The development of portable wilderness rescue drones may disrupt current search-and-rescue industry standards by changing the way rescues are conducted in remote locations.
2. Outdoor Retail Industry - Adoption of portable search-and-rescue drones that can detect lost hikers in the wilderness may create new opportunities for innovation in emergency equipment and technological advancements for outdoor enthusiasts.
3. Surveillance Industry - Utilization of infrared surveillance technology in search-and-rescue drones may present opportunities for disruptive innovation in mobile video and aerial surveillance technologies.