According to a report, the Delta police embarked on a mission to find the missing person, who had been last sighted near a local park named Dugald Morrison. Unfortunately, upon reaching the location, they faced challenges in locating the individual.
The secret weapon
In response to the situation, the police deployed a drone fitted with an infrared (IR) camera and a spotlight. This proved to be a strategic decision that yielded remarkable results.
Sergeant Jim Ingram of the Delta police force explained that the drone’s rapid deployment allowed them to swiftly survey vast areas and then zoom in on specific locations of interest. This aerial advantage was particularly evident in the extensive easements and expansive farm fields. These would have otherwise been challenging to search by conventional means.
The breakthrough came when the drone’s infrared sensor detected a distinct heat signature in a wooded area. This crucial discovery enabled the officials to pinpoint the exact location of the missing person within the brush. The drone’s advanced spotlight and zoom cameras confirmed that the individual in question was indeed the missing person.
Ingram remarked that, in a scenario like this, when the person was facing medical distress, conducting a search on foot would have been exceptionally difficult. In this instance, the drone’s role was truly transformative.
This was not the first time that Delta police employed various types of drones for diverse applications. Yet, those equipped with infrared technology prove invaluable in situations that could mean life or death.
Other rescue missions
Back in November 2020, researchers foresaw the significance of drones in search and rescue missions. These experts predicted that autonomous drones would play an increasingly pivotal role in locating lost, injured, or ailing individuals. Their study, published in Nature Machine Intelligence, explained how deep learning techniques significantly enhanced the ability of drones to identify humans amidst complex backgrounds.
The scientists elaborated that fusing multi-perspective images before analysis notably improved automated person detection. This is particularly handy when the subject was partially obscured.
The deployment of a police drone equipped with infrared technology to locate a missing person with dementia is a powerful example of how cutting-edge tools are transforming search and rescue operations, safeguarding lives and ensuring swift responses to critical situations.
