Chalmers team work on autonomous drone maritime search & rescue

A team at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden claims to have developed a drone that could make sea rescue operations far safer and more efficient.

Within the context of the refugee crisis, which sees thousands of people every year fleeing humanitarian crises, which sees people using fragile and overloaded vessels leading to many deaths, the firm is hoping to save lives out at sea.

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The team has been looking at quadcopters, fixed-wing and marine drones for use in these search and rescue operations, which could see both water and air-based drones working in tandem to mount missions.

The drones will reportedly use some kind of communication system to scout for people trapped out at sea, which will then alert local authorities of their locations.

In all, there are three components: a marine catamaran drone called Seacat, which serves as a base for the other drones, which includes a fleet of aerial drones that monitor the surrounding area and a quadcopter - which has four engines, and thus the ability to hover - can fly to people and distress and deliver supplies or aid.

"The project is based on the simple principle that different drones have different advantages, and by allowing several different types of autonomous drones to work together, search efficiency and rescue response speed can be significantly improved, with the potential to save more lives", says Xin Zhao, post-doc in the Fluid Mechanics Division at Chalmers.

The system could also theoretically be linked o any public service or to a volunteer force, that could provide assistance.

Seacat provides an internet uplink as well as a local communication link that is used to coordinate the other drones. It also contains a launchpad for the aerial drones, with all the drones moving autonomously and using its systems to search for people. 

The marine drones follow a preset route within a closed loop and fixed-wing drones are automatically assigned to a particular area. Once one of them finds something, the quadcopter is sent in to take pictures, which are sent back to the Seacat, so supplies can be sent and the relevant authorities called. 

Should one of the fixed-wing drones run out of battery, it will land in the water near the Seacat and be picked up, where it can be recharged and sent out.

"So far, we have succeeded in carrying out a quadcopter landing on Seacat, and the winged drones have been built and are in the process of being assessed", says Ola Benderius, Associate Professor in the Vehicle Engineering and Autonomous Systems Division, who has also led the project.

"As part of a continuation of the project, we will put the system together and test it in its entirety out at sea".

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The drone system has been developed in collaboration between the Vehicle Mechanics and Autonomous Systems Division and the Fluid Dynamics Division of the Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, while the fixed-wing drones were developed in-house by Chalmers.

The test phase for the project is expected to come to an end in September 2022, by which point it may turn into a real autonomous project.

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