Every second counts in traffic accidents or major fires, but it often takes far too long for emergency services to get a complete picture of the situation. Fully autonomous, AI-supported drone systems, on the other hand, are ready for action in the shortest possible time and can provide first responders with important information.
When a control centre receives an emergency call after an accident, for example, the situation is often unclear at first. How many people are injured, is there a risk of explosion, is someone missing? "The control centres often don't know how dangerous the situation is or which emergency services are needed. They usually send the next available units - and then wait for their initial feedback," says Patrique Zaman, founder of Avy.
This is where the Dutch company comes in with a new approach: Drones that are automatically alerted, launched and controlled - without human intervention. As soon as an emergency call is received, the software transmits the caller's location to the control centre. Via an API interface to the Avy platform, one click is all it takes to activate the system. ‘Our algorithms immediately calculate where the nearest available drone is located - fully charged and ready to fly,’ explains Zaman.
Take-off within ten seconds
The stations check weather data, charge the drones and take off independently. A central control centre monitors several flights simultaneously and intervenes only if necessary – otherwise, everything runs autonomously. Within ten seconds, the drone lifts off vertically, accelerates well over 150km/s/hour and flies directly to the location - bypassing no-fly zones or other air traffic. Once on site, the drone delivers high-resolution video and thermal images in real time. The incident command centre can forward these directly to all relevant personnel, while the fire brigade, police or emergency doctors are still on their way. Zaman: ‘This gives the teams on site an enormous head start - they already know what to expect.’
Avy's drones are equipped with state-of-the-art AI for image analysis: they recognise people, analyse vital signs, and identify fires, explosive gases or hazardous substances - all autonomously. The voice-controlled interaction with the system is particularly innovative: incident commanders can give specific commands by voice, such as following a particular vehicle or inspect an area more closely.
Preventive flights
However, the drones are not only used in acute emergencies, but also for preventive purposes. They regularly fly control routes in harbours such as Rotterdam and monitor potential sources of fire in national parks in Austria and Belgium. On warm days in particular, the AI analyses tiny smoke developments over distances of up to eight kilometres - long before a human could detect them.
Vision for the future
Zaman has a vision for the future: a comprehensive network of autonomous drone stations throughout Western Europe. Avy is already working on new technologies such as hydrogen-based drive systems for greater range.
Author: Sonja Buske
