Delving into the Potential Capabilities of Public Safety Drones

Highlights:

• Introduction
• Public safety drones and law enforcement
• Diverse use cases of these high-tech aerial vehicles
• SkyBound Rescuer’s new automated drone service
• Promising developments in the sector

In the last decade, the concept of using drones for various applications has evolved into a tried and tested reality. The use of drones for public safety applications has become increasingly popular among police departments and public safety agencies. These unmanned aerial vehicles are operated without any human pilot. However, these high-tech vehicles can be controlled either by humans or they can fly independently through advanced software-controlled flight plans, running with the amalgamation of onboard sensors with the drone’s Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. These modern tech-equipped aerial vehicles support daily operations in different sectors such as police departments, fire departments, disaster management personnel, and search & rescue teams.

How are public safety drones benefiting the law enforcement sector?

With advancement in technology, various law enforcement agencies have adopted drones due to their several advantages. These vehicles are faster than conventional vehicles and serve as first responders in difficult scenarios. They are able to reach critical locations within a few minutes after receiving an emergency request. They assess the situation better before human responders arrive.

Public safety drones offer a cost-effective way to conduct aerial surveillance. On the other hand, deploying a manned helicopter is expensive and time-consuming. In addition, manned helicopters are not suitable for every situation where immediate response is required. While drones, due to their compact sizes and flexibility, respond to such scenarios effectively.

Most importantly, drones can play a significant role in saving many lives. They are equipped with several attachments depending on diverse types of tasks and can be controlled by police officers from a safe distance. These vehicles are useful in several dangerous situations such as hostage rescue, car-chase, counter insurgency, and many others, where a police officer can engage perpetrators from a significant distance without risking his life.

Furthermore, drones can be equipped with thermal sensors and cover larger areas, which makes them ideal for search and rescue operations. Owing to the wide applicability of these drones in this sector, the law enforcement segment is predicted to generate a revenue of $928.5 million during 2022-2032.

Beyond low enforcement: Diverse use cases of public safety drones

Over the past few years, drone technology has emerged as a potential technology to serve various purposes starting from manning sensitive military areas to delivering packages. With advancement in technology, governments of several nations, commercial entities, and even individuals make use of drone technology for various applications which are as follows:

• Geographic mapping of inaccessible areas
• Storm tracking and forecasting
• Disaster management
• Delivering medical equipment
• Tactical operations
• Structural firefighting
• Aerial photography
• Unmanned cargo transport
• Performing safety inspections

SkyBound Rescuer’s automated drone service for monitoring transport services

ShyBound Rescuer, a leading UK-based public safety drone company recently completed a successful trial of a fully automated drone service to enhance public safety across various transportation mediums including train, bus, road, and tram networks. Recently, the company installed this automated drone service in Walsall, a town in England, with the help of Transport for West Midlands, a public body responsible for coordinating transport services. By installing these services at various transport modes, the company aims to promote faster detection & resolution of issues in transportation, optimizing monitoring and public safety response.

SkyBound has created a 3D model of the Walsall town center and a database of transport points of interest (POIs). This 3D model can identify rooftops, building heights, and other potential locations including pedestrian crossings and highstreets. By using this information, the software can determine the optimal vantage point to monitor each POI, helping transport operators avoid any risks associated with that POI. Moreover, the company has integrated its software with automated drone station technology that makes drones fully self-sufficient across this field, enabling them to monitor, assess, and resolve issues independently.

Advantageous partnerships and cutting-edge solutions by leading companies

Many leading players in the public safety drones industry have made mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, and partnerships and come up with innovative product launches to stay ahead in the competitive landscape. For instance, in June 2022, Axon, a global leader in connected law enforcement technologies announced its partnership with DJI, a leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology. With this partnership, the companies aim to enhance drone capabilities and data services to streamline various operations such as ensuring public safety at large events, performing search and rescue missions, reconstructing traffic collisions, improving police officers’ lives, and many more.

On the other hand, In November 2023, BRINC, a leading American developer and manufacturer of public safety technology announced the launch of its new drone model, namely LEMUR 2 to offer an enhanced safety solution to the U.S. public. This newly launched vehicle can be used to improve first responder safety, assist in search and rescue operations, and deal with dangerous situations. LEMUR 2 includes several key elements to enhance performance and durability such as night vision and FLIR thermal sensors, LiDAR and Tracking camera array, smart battery power management, high-performance antenna array, obstacle awareness, USB-C charging ecosystem, NDAA compliance, and many more, ensuring monitoring and assessing activities with enhanced capabilities.

To conclude, the increase in need for streamlined operations across public sectors and the rise in government investments in R&D of effective drones are expected to propel the growth of the public safety drones industry in the coming era. Moreover, the rise in emphasis on cost-effective monitoring, assessment of solutions, and the surge in technological advancements are projected to bring extensive opportunities for the sector in the future.

To gain more insights into the public safety drones industry, feel free to talk to our industry experts today! They can also help your business develop new strategies and initiatives. 

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