OST applying drone technology for rescue missions
Buchs SG – Researchers at OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences have equipped a rescue platform with drone technology. This will help a rescue basket beneath a helicopter be autonomously stabilized and positioned.
Rescue missions are frequently carried out by helicopter, from which a rescue basket is let down. For this, the pilot must precisely position the helicopter and keep it stable to enable a successful rescue. Researchers at OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences have now developed technology on the campus in Buchs to autonomously stabilize and position the rescue platform, as was reported in a press release.
Researchers applied drone technology and fitted the rescue platform with sensors and rotors. These enable the platform to autonomously respond to wind gusts and stabilize itself. The technology proved effective in a test with a crane, where precise positioning was possible. However, when tested on a helicopter, the rescue basket prototype was found to be too light and have insufficient propulsion.
Consequently, the researchers launched a follow-on project to also achieve specific positioning when used on a helicopter. “The pilot would then only need to roughly position the helicopter. This will enable quicker, easier and safer rescue. With this project researching positioning accuracy we have laid the foundations,” said Claudia Visentin from the Institute for the Development of Mechatronic Systems EMS in Buchs. jh