First Field trial of drones, 25- 26 August 2020, Austria

On 25- 26 August 2020 the first field trial was conducted in Felixdorf, Austria. CURSOR’s partner ISCC conducted the test of drones on a military field.

In two days, mothership, 3-D modelling, GPR and GPRD drones were tested. In addition the test encompassed different sensors mounted on the drones, and data management. The tests were carried on 5 test piles made of different construction materials and material density, built by the Austrian Armed Forces.

The test was attended by four first responder participants from Austria, two first responders from Germany and three observers from the Austrian Ministry of Interior. Their main role was to observe the usability of the technology in USAR missions. Tasks during the tests included preparing the drones for take-off, operating the tethered MS power supply, checking the test configuration (pile with concrete tube underneath housing the dummy), communication with end users via megaphone installed on the MS, and the software-related actions involved in creating orthophotos and a 3D model. Furthermore, one participant (a certified drone pilot) carried out take-off, flight operation and landing with one drone.

The tests provided some valuable results on the operability of the drones on scene. The results will help in the future development of the drones and ultimately in recovering live victims as fast as possible.