Disaster recovery drones are being tested in Japan

By Jason Reagan,

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Sendai City tasked the telecommunications giant with developing a plan to deploy UAS to respond more effectively in the wake of earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters.

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Drones can provide a more rapid response to such disasters. And speed is of the essence when a tsunami strikes – deadly waves driven by the 9.1 earthquake raced to shore at 497 mph.

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Equipped with HD and thermal cameras, as well as speakers, the test drones allowed rescuers to issue audio tsunami warnings to residents of coastal areas near the plant.

The cameras monitored the tsunami arrival zone and tracked the movement of evacuees. Infrared cameras also located people in dark or obscured conditions.

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