We are pleased and proud to share with you the information about the publication of the Polish creators of SARUAV in the international high-scoring scientific journal "Remote Sensing" 2021, 13(23). It is a widely presented functioning mechanism of SARUAV, the first IT system supporting the search for missing persons from a drone. The authors of the article and the SARUAV system are Prof. Tomasz Niedzielski, Dr. Mirosława Jurecka, Dr. Bartłomiej Miziński, Wojciech Pawul, Tomasz Motyl. In the article you will find, among others, a number of thoroughly presented data on methods of searching for missing persons and image analysis together with material samples for various terrain characteristics.  A case study of the first rescued missing person who would not have received help without the SARUAV system is described.

View the full article here..

Abstract:

Recent advances in search and rescue methods include the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to carry out aerial monitoring of terrains to spot lost individuals. To date, such searches have been conducted by human observers who view UAV-acquired videos or images. Alternatively, lost persons may be detected by automated algorithms. Although some algorithms are implemented in software to support search and rescue activities, no successful rescue case using automated human detectors has been reported on thus far in the scientific literature. This paper presents a report from a search and rescue mission carried out by Bieszczady Mountain Rescue Service near the village of Cergowa in SE Poland, where a 65-year-old man was rescued after being detected via use of SARUAV software. This software uses convolutional neural networks to automatically locate people in close-range nadir aerial images. The missing man, who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease (as well as a stroke the previous day) spent more than 24 h in open terrain. SARUAV software was allocated to support the search, and its task was to process 782 nadir and near-nadir JPG images collected during four photogrammetric flights. After 4 h 31 min of the analysis, the system successfully detected the missing person and provided his coordinates (uploading 121 photos from a flight over a lost person; image processing and verification of hits lasted 5 min 48 s). The presented case study proves that the use of an UAV assisted by SARUAV software may quicken the search mission. View Full-Text

We also invite you to read an aeroMind article introducing the principles of SARUAV. Click here.