Paw-lease Come Home: Inspiring Story of Drone-aided Dog Rescue
It was just another sunny afternoon when the heartbeats of many volunteers at a local animal orphanage skipped a beat. The orphanages beloved dog named ‘Traveller’, an oldie but a goodie, had vanished without a trace. Day and night, the team scoured every nook and cranny, hoping to hear a bark or catch a glimpse of their wandering friend. But after three relentless days and two sleepless nights, it seemed like Traveller's trail had gone cold.
Just as all hope seemed lost, a plea for help pierced through the cyber clouds, and caught the community’s attention. Someone from the orphanage took to social media in desperation and posted "We have an idea on how to find Traveler!!! Does anyone have a drone that they can bring over today….?”
The virtual winds carried this post to a friend of mine, who immediately thought of me. She remembered that I had a drone with a sophisticated IR sensor "thingy"! My phone buzzed, and before I knew it, after some follow-up phone tag with the search volunteers I was going; full "Indiana Jones", albeit with drones!
I quickly readied two of my drones that were equipped with infrared (IR) capabilities. One of these drones was a particularly advanced model, that also had a powerful visual sensor, and a laser rangefinder; along with the AI intelligence to autonomously emulate and fly the search and rescue aerial patterns most relevant for the mission. This beast wasn't just a drone; it was a one-stop solution for "Where's that dog?" puzzles.
My jeep, ever reliable, gave me that 'What are we waiting for?' look, then with a growl, it roared to life, ready to channel its inner superhero for the mission. Then, took me to what we were calling ‘the base camp’, which was slightly off-road! There, a team of dedicated orphanage volunteers and two of ‘Traveler's doggy Best Friend Forever (“BFF”) were waiting. Together, we strategized and succinctly titled the mission, "Operation - Find Traveller."
Our strategy was simple:
Size-up: Determine the area of interest, last known location, and potential hazards, then mitigate and create a focused flight plan for the drone mission(s).
Search: Deploy our tech, tools, people and doggy resources, to conduct a drone guided search of the area of interest.
Rescue: Upon locating Traveller, execute a safe extraction to reunite him with his orphanage family and doggy BFF’s.
We decided to deploy my smaller scout ‘enterprise’ drone first, that was also armed with IR, to assess the landscape and it’s challenges, then use the IR to mitigate to an area of focus for the search. (Here’s a quick tidbit; ‘IR’ capability mounted onto a drone is particularly helpful for Search and Rescue missions. The sensors detect the thermal energy or heat emitted by an object and converts it into an electronic signal, which is then processed to produce an image.) Comm’s ready, drones ready, doggy BFF’s and their owners ready; we buzzed the mission to life. The smaller enterprise drone zigzagged across the sky, sending back Visual and IR data, helping us understand the mission challenges ahead (including some sunbathing squirrels and a few marmots that showed up and captured our interest) Within the first 30 minutes, and our first deployment completed, we narrowed our search area to a smaller area with a particular area of interest to investigate further.
Huddled together, our doggy and people team reviewed the potential search patterns that we created. We also decided to calibrated the ‘Beast’ drones IR Zenmuse H20T sensors (using the BFF doggy’s temperature) for the temperature variations we should be on the lookout for. Remember, IR doesn't just show you a picture; it tells a thermal tale (tail). Reaching a consensus on all things good, bad and ugly, our heavy-duty drone (code named "The Beast") gracefully took flight in all its sophistication and glory.
A mere 15 minutes in, the Beast’s IR temperature alarm alerted us to an object of interest near a sunken-in creek, cuddled by some steep terrain. The comm’s came alive, as I sent the pinpointed coordinates to our rescue extraction team. Travellers BFF doggy’s lead the charge, and rushed to the location.
And there, amidst the hum of nature and the quiet buzz hovering overhead from this amazing drone, lay Traveller, a tad battered with a broken hip, but ever so happy to see familiar faces.
Mission Paws-sible completed! Traveller was back home, and the orphanage social community celebrated along with Travellers BFF’s that were over the top with joyous barks.
This day was a testament to how technology, combined with the relentless teamwork spirit of first responders, can make miracles happen. Drones, often seen as toys or mere flying cameras, are evolving as an essential tool in life-saving missions.
To first responders everywhere; you are the unsung heroes. And as technology continues to evolve, we know you'll embrace it, ensuring more lives (both two-legged and four-legged) are saved. It's not just about finding what's lost. It's about reuniting hearts; be it by bark or by beep.
The best adventures aren't always chosen; sometimes, they choose you
Happy Rescuing! But before you do… try the Bonus ‘Critter IR tease’*** (below)!
. 🐶🚁🎉
***Bonus! - Critter Seeker IR tease - Can you find the cat in the right window?
i.e., Left Window is IR from a drone and the right window is Visual from a drone!
