Using a new
software drones detect forest paths and can follow these
autonomously. (Image: UZH; USI; SUPSI)
(February 10, 2016) Researchers
at the University of Zurich, the Università della Svizzera italiana, and the
University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland have developed
software enabling drones to autonomously detect and follow forest paths. With
the new drones, missing persons can be found and rescued quickly in forests and
mountain areas.
Every year, thousands of people lose their way in forests
and mountain areas. In Switzerland alone, emergency centers respond to around
1,000 calls annually from injured and lost hikers. But drones can effectively
complement the work of rescue services teams. Because they are inexpensive and
can be rapidly deployed in large numbers, they substantially reduce the
response time and the risk of injury to missing persons and rescue teams alike.
A group of researchers from the Dalle Molle Institute for
Artificial Intelligence and the University of Zurich has developed artificial
intelligence software to teach a small quadrocopter to autonomously recognize
and follow forest trails. A premiere in the fields of artificial intelligence
and robotics, this success means drones could soon be used in parallel with
rescue teams to accelerate the search for people lost in the wild.