A group consisting of licensed drone pilots from the region and the University of Missouri — Kansas City faculty planned and developed a drone-assisted emergency response system that could be useful in a variety of disaster situations.
The pilot project will be tested in St. Joseph during the total solar eclipse Aug. 21.
Nine pilots and multiple drones will be positioned at two locations along Interstate 29 to help Buchanan County Emergency Management find vehicle crashes on backed-up roadways and monitor crowds at large viewing sites such as East Hills Shopping Center and Menard’s.
Dr. Zhiqiang Chen, an associate engineering professor at UMKC, said a goal of the project is to mobilize local pilots to use their drones during any disaster response situation and to quickly transmit content to an emergency response center. Read more.