At sea, two drones search for a person and deliver a lifebuoy

The search quadcopter combines a 2K optical camera, thermal sensing and AI-assisted detection. A hexacopter receives the location and carries up to 2.5 kg.

The team claims a 10-km operating radius, 45 minutes for the search aircraft and 25 minutes for the carrier.

At sea, two drones search for a person and deliver a lifebuoy — 2

These figures have not yet been validated in a published operational trial. Wind, spray, waves, glare and low contrast may reduce performance.

Automated detection can confuse a person with debris or miss someone partly submerged. An operator therefore authorises the final release, taking current and trajectory into account.

At sea, two drones search for a person and deliver a lifebuoy — 3

The system does not recover the person; it fills the interval before a boat arrives.

Conclusion

It needs testing across sea states, day and night, with failure and radio procedures. Its main innovation is not AI alone, but two specialised aircraft and a human decision at the critical moment.