CLOSE-SEARCH

The goal of CLOSE-SEARCH is to integrate in a small Unmanned Aircraft (UA), a thermal imaging sensor and a multi-sensor BA/RINS/GPS-EGNOS-based navigation system with an Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (AIM) capability, to support the search component of search-and-rescue (SAR) operations in remote, difficult-to-access areas and/or in time critical situations.

The proposed integration will result in a HW & SW prototype that will demonstrate an end-to-end functionality. For reasons of manoeuvrability the proposed UA will be a helicopter.

It is also the goal of CLOSE-SEARCH to demonstrate the added value of a future multi-constellation augmented GNSS configuration, like Galileo/GPS-EGNOS or Galileo/GPS-SoL.

Two key target attributes of the proposed concept are ultra-safe navigation and overall low-cost, so it can be safely and massively implemented. We envision a simple piece of equipment available in ski resorts, tourist areas, mountaineering clubs and local civil protection premises.

Under the proposed concept, upon a loosely-georeferenced distress call, an UA integrated in an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), will be transported to the closest possible point to the emergency-area and launched to systematically scan the area with a thermal sensor following a predefined 3D flying path derived from available 3D geospatial databases. The thermal images will be transferred to the control system of the UAS (CS), on-line via the UAS/datalink or off-line upon return of the UAS/UA to the UAS/CS. The thermal images will be analysed in search of candidate locations for the persons under search.

The specific objectives of CLOSE-SEARCH can be summarized as follows:

1. To build a low-cost UAS/UA- thermal imaging-based system to support SAR operations.
2. To perform ultra-safe navigation with a BA/RINS/GPS-EGNOS-based integrated system including an extended RAIM capability using all the available navigation sensors (AIM).
3. To integrate 3D spatial databases and BA/RINS/GPS-EGNOS-based navigation into the UAS/UA flight control system (FCS).
4. To demonstrate the potential massive use, the technical feasibility and the commercial viability of the concept.
5. To asses the relevance and impact of Galileo and its future SoL service for the proposed concept.

The proposed prototype requires the integration of EGNOS and [future] Galileo/GPS SoL services, 3D geospatial [Digital Elevation Model and Digital Surface Model] databases, INS/GNSS close-coupling algorithms, as well as UAS, communications and remote-sensing technologies.