Christine Thropp
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, through a prize challenge, seeks to provide first responders with unmanned aircraft systems tailored to enhance their indoor search and rescue operations.
The First Responder UAS Indoor Challenge requires competitors to design, develop and demonstrate drones capable of assisting firefighters and first responders by increasing their situational awareness, NIST said Wednesday.
Drone entries must remain operational despite GPS unavailability, limited lighting or compromised structural integrity.
Dereck Orr, chief of public safety communications research division at NIST, said the agency’s UAS Program is aimed at supporting technology advancements for the community. Aside from the current challenge, he also cited other NIST initiatives to enhance drone use in first responder missions.
The competition has three stages and subject matter experts will help a panel of judges select recipients of up to $685,000 in prizes.
Capital Consulting, in partnership with Kansas State University, manages the First Responder UAS Indoor Challenge, which will run through June 2023.
