Apr 29 2015
To augment humanitarian search and rescue efforts, Lockheed Martin announced it is teaming with Project Lifesaver International and Loen Engineering Inc., bringing advanced technology to first response agencies. The Indago small unmanned aerial system (UAS) will be integrated with an innovative light-weight antenna and receiver developed by Loen Engineering. The system allows Project Lifesaver agencies and first responders to rapidly locate special needs individuals who have wandered from their homes.
An enhanced image of the Indago integrated with the Project Lifesaver antenna shows how the quad rotor will help local first responders with search and rescue operations for special needs individuals.
“Using the Project Lifesaver location device with aviation assets will extend search areas from approximately one and a half miles to well over seven miles,” said Gene Saunders, chief executive officer and founder of Project Lifesaver International. “Integrating Lockheed Martin’s Indago with the Project Lifesaver capability is a game changer for Project Lifesaver agencies because it offers an affordable alternative to manned aviation assets and can be used by any first responder agency.”
First responders have relied on manned aircraft to conduct aerial search and rescue operations, and the Indago reduces the response time and increases the efficiency of search efforts when time is critical. The five-pound, collapsible Indago system can be stored in the trunk of any squad car and deployed within a matter of minutes.
“This partnership opens the aperture for unmanned systems to be used in critical search and rescue situations that aid public safety agencies with the important humanitarian mission targeting high-risk individuals,” said Dave Pringle, general manager of Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies. “Indago’s ability to provide an eye-in-the-sky in just minutes enables first responders to increase their effectiveness in locating wandering persons and reuniting them with their families.”
Indago is a proven, reliable and easy to operate quad rotor small UAS that requires no assembly. Coupling the Project Lifesaver antenna and control elements with the Indago system expands signal detectability, serves as an airborne relay, and greatly improves the probability of location success across broad search areas. The Indago’s industry-leading flight time of 45 minutes and electro-optic infrared gimbaled imager provides high quality data and enhanced situational awareness for operators to make real-time decisions. Indago is capable of providing tactical situational awareness and geo-location to aid in a variety of missions, from firefighting to precision agriculture to search and rescue.
With five decades of experience in unmanned and robotic systems for air, land and sea, Lockheed Martin’s unmanned systems are engineered to help our military, civil and commercial customers accomplish their most difficult challenges today and in the future.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 112,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2014 were $45.6 billion.
Project Lifesaver International (PLI) is a 501 (C) (3) community based, public safety, non-profit organization that provides law enforcement, fire/rescue, other first responders and caregivers with equipment and training to quickly locate and rescue individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life threatening behavior of wandering, including those with Alzheimer’s disease, Autism, and Down syndrome. To date Project Lifesaver agencies have conducted over 2,965 successful rescues. Most who wander are found within a few miles from home, and search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes. Recovery times for PLI clients average 30 minutes — 95% less time than standard operations.
Loen Engineering, based in Victoria, BC, Canada, designs and manufactures radio frequency products, and provides creative engineering design and solutions to clients throughout North America.