| Summary: | Search and rescue (SAR) is a vital line of defense against unnecessary loss of life. However,<br />in a potentially hazardous environment, it is important to balance the risks associated with SAR<br />action. Drones have the potential to help with the efficiency, success rate and safety of SAR operations<br />as they can cover large or hard to access areas quickly. The addition of thermal cameras to the drones<br />provides the potential for automated and reliable detection of people in need of rescue. We performed<br />a pilot study with a thermal-equipped drone for SAR applications in Morecambe Bay. In a variety<br />of realistic SAR scenarios, we found that we could detect humans who would be in need of rescue,<br />both by the naked eye and by a simple automated method. We explore the current advantages and<br />limitations of thermal drone systems, and outline the future path to a useful system for deployment<br />in real-life SAR.
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