ResponDrone Project Includes Alpha 800
ResponDrone Project includes Alpha 800 UAV in its multiple-drone deployments. Alpha Unmanned Systems’ Alpha 800 helicopter UAV now supports the ResponDrone project. The Alpha 800 provides situational awareness for first responders.
The ResponDrone project is an initiative co-funded by the European Union (EU) and Korean government. Its mission is to provide critical information and communication services in emergency situations.
Situational Challenges
During disaster situations, lack of line of sight and deficiencies in communications make it difficult for first responders to execute missions.
Plus, time is often a critical factor. This adds another dimension of difficulty for emergency response teams.
Thus, rapid data collection is vital during the early stages of a disaster.
UAVs, especially rotary-wing platforms, are becoming a leading tool for first responders. Unmanned vehicles provide an initial means of communication. In addition, they help gather data for status reports and situational analysis.
ResponDrone Project
Systems like ResponDrone, deploy several UAVs concurrently.
As such, they can amass information about possible access routes and victim locations. This helps provide precision mapping to designate evacuation and supply routes, take-off and landing areas.
This information facilitates faster and easier on-scene arrival capabilities.
Plus, drones allow teams to make real-time decisions and anticipate potential situational changes.
Pilots work from a safe position and provide rapid feedback to decision-makers, who can act quickly on the data collected.
Alpha 800 UAV
The Alpha 800 UAV is a rotary-wing aircraft capable of flying at low speed and low altitude. It requires only a 9m2 area for its VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) operation.
It can operate in maritime environments and in temperature ranges of -10ºC to +50ºC. This makes it a flexible solution that deploys under a wide range of conditions.
With a 3kg payload capacity, it can equip with thermal, night vision, LiDAR, IR, or mobile phone seeker sensors.
Other features of the Alpha 800 that make it highly suited to emergency and disaster response applications, include:
- Hover flight mode. Useful when communications are lost or when terrain hinders or blocks signal access. In such situations, the Alpha 800 can serve as communications relay or as a source of real-time video, data and photography.
- VTOL operation in a small space. Enables emergency services to drop and pick up supplies in minimal time with maximum safety and precision.
- Quick deploy. Deploys within 10-minutes and is small enough to transport using only a car or pick-up van.
- Budget friendly. Lower maintenance, operational and crew costs when compared to conventional manned helicopters.
Alpha Security and Defence is a division of Alpha Unmanned Systems.
