Drones Case Study: Search and Rescue Supported by Drones on a Cellular Network

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are already in use for a multitude of applications. The regulatory framework is presently still being shaped, and there remains some scepticism around their value and safety; however, use cases beyond the purely commercial, but which offer public value, can positively influence acceptance, and provide useful data for further development.

This case study illustrates the project of Deutsche Telekom (DT) demonstrating how UAVs can conduct search and rescue missions in difficult terrain. This project brought together the German Air Navigation Services and the German Lifeguard Association for logistics, while UAV manufacturer Microdrones provided LTE connectivity, and the Braunschweig University of Technology provided image processing.