Last week, an AI-powered drone found two lost hikers within hours in Australia’s Kosciuszko National Park.
The advanced drone used thermal imaging to locate the two men, both in their 20s, half a kilometer off the trail. Police and State Emergency Service personnel then contacted the hikers through the device’s built-in speakers.
Alerted where to go, rescuers then converged on the area. The drone’s spotlight then guided them to the hikers within five hours of the time they were reported missing. It turned what could have been a days-long search into a quick and successful resolution.
The lost men were suffering a little from exposure but did not need medical care.
This was the first such rescue by the region’s new drone technology. It has four cameras, including one with infrared imaging, and its AI software can analyze thousands of images in real time, distinguishing people from animals, vehicles, and other heat sources.
Russell Turner of Fire and Rescue NSW pilots the AI-powered drone. Photo: Fire and Rescue NSW
