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SINGAPORE: A building collapses, leaving multiple victims in cardiac arrest and needing immediate medical attention.
In a matter of minutes, drones carrying automated external defibrillators (AEDs) reach the scene, faster than an ambulance could arrive.
This could soon become a reality after the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) said on Wednesday (September 16) that it is working with different Home Team departments to design and customize long-range autonomous drones for needs. and specific requirements.
These Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can automatically launch and recover vertically, as well as fly beyond the operator’s line of sight (BVLOS). On the ground, the drone batteries can be replaced automatically.
The drone is launched from the drone box. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
The drones, developed in conjunction with ST Engineering, can be used during security operations in areas that may be inaccessible or where situations are too risky for manual operations, HTX said.
They can fly about 8 km in 30 minutes, covering a longer distance and a larger area in a single mission, HTX added.
Singapore Police had announced in May that it would use similar drones to patrol industrial parks. However, unlike BVLOS drones, those drones must fly within the pilot’s line of sight and cannot be programmed to perform routine operations.
READ: Police will use autonomous drones to patrol industrial estates
HTX said in a statement Wednesday that BVLOS drones can be used as first aid to provide a picture of the situation of an incident. This includes high-security events with large crowds, as well as during continuous and routine patrols.
“As videos from the UAVs can be transmitted to the Police Operations Command Center, the police can quickly see and assess the situation before deciding on the appropriate resources to send ashore,” he said.
Drones can also play a “critical role” in detecting hazardous materials, monitoring fire scenes and delivering essential supplies such as medical equipment, HTX claimed.
“(This) may include AEDs during critical missions such as building collapses to help achieve a shorter response time for life-threatening cardiac arrest cases,” he added.
“The ability to order BVLOS flights will increase the efficiency of local team operations and allow front-line officers to focus on higher-order tasks.”
Mr. Shanmugam is reviewing drone batteries that can be automatically replaced in a drone box. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who saw a BVLOS UAV flight demonstration at the Tuas View fire station on Wednesday, said the drone is a “very important additional capability.”
“It allows us to multiply the force without additional manpower and gives it a dimension that not even manpower can give it,” he said.
“The use of technology is extremely important. Take SCDF, for example, if you have a robot that can fight fires, the benefits are pretty obvious. If you have robots that can fly and identify the areas to be treated, the benefits are obvious. “
The Minister of Law and Interior, K Shanmugam, attended a flight demonstration of the drone. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
READ: Singapore Police Launch Drone-Equipped Surveillance Vehicles
Drone box concept
The BVLOS drone is operated using a Drone Box concept that can autonomously launch and retrieve it, as well as change deployed batteries, said Cheng Wee Kiang, director of HTX’s Robotics, Automation and Unmanned Systems Experience Center.
The box is a container on the ground that opens and closes automatically to launch and retrieve the drone, with robotic arms inside that change the equipment on the drone.
The operators tell the drone where to go and monitor their camera images from a back-end location.
“Inside the Drone Box, there is also a batch of drone batteries that are charging and ready to be installed,” he said.
“This feature enables quick response during operations without the need for manual intervention.”
Mr. Shanmugam viewing images of the drone. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)
The drone also has an automatic payload swap feature that changes the equipment it carries based on the operation. Equipment includes cameras, hazmat detectors, or delivery mechanisms.
“Automatic payload swapping means that payloads can quickly adapt to different missions and situations,” Cheng said.
“Since automation takes care of mundane and time-consuming tasks, it will greatly improve the agility and efficiency of Home Team operations.”
Police said they recently tested the BVLOS UAV during a compliance operation at an industrial estate in Tuas when it successfully led ground officers to a location where suspicious activities were taking place.
Assistant Police Superintendent Benson Tong, a capacity building officer on the local team’s UAV team, said the drones introduced in May required pilots to be on the ground to maintain a line of sight.
“While for BVLOS, our officers can operate the drone remotely elsewhere, thus ensuring its safety,” he added.
