New police drones are to help find missing people

The drones are equipped with high-resolution cameras and heat-sensitive sensors, the data from which are processed by neural networks.

Police Scotland has introduced a new drone system that should help police find people who are lost or at risk.

The drones use powerful cameras that can detect a person at a 150-meter distance. The image is processed by neural networks, which significantly increases the searches’ efficiency.

Algorithms that continue to receive training have low system requirements, so they can be run even on a regular smartphone.

In addition to a high-resolution camera, the drones are equipped with heat-detecting sensors that expand the overall sensitivity of the device.

Police Scotland has collaborated with the Thales multinational company and the University of the West of Scotland on a new drone project. The development took place at the premises of the CENSIS innovation center, which specializes in bringing together private businesses and government agencies in projects aimed at developing solutions in the field of computer vision and the Internet of things.