Jane Edwards
Lacey Wean, autonomy and robotics technology program executive at Carahsoft Technology, said drones have become important tools for the public safety community by serving as first responders and supporting search and rescue missions and accident investigations.
“Equipped with high-resolution cameras, thermal imaging or other advanced sensors, drones can swiftly survey any scene from the skies and provide crucial data to first responders,” Wean wrote in a blog post published Dec. 8 on the Carahsoft website.
In this article, she discussed how unmanned aircraft systems could enable first responders to understand a specific incident and better allocate resources.
“This improved situational awareness helps first responders make informed decisions, while enhancing the safety of both citizens and personnel,” Wean added.
The Carahsoft executive discussed how drones have revolutionized accident investigations and helped a police department in Arizona and fire department in Houston improve incident response times.
According to Wean, drone capabilities could be further improved with the integration of artificial intelligence, which could help enhance emergency response and search and rescue operations.
“In the near future, industry can anticipate drones with enhanced autonomy to work in coordinated swarms, learn from past missions and employ advanced object recognition,” Wean wrote. “Fully autonomous drones will include on-demand deployment, emergency alert response, target tracking, obstacle avoidance, indoor flight, AI capabilities, GPS connectivity, voice commands, patrol vehicle integration, advanced threat detection and real-time situational awareness through live feeds.”
