Mouser Electronics Inc., together with Easy Aerial Inc. and celebrity engineer Grant Imahara on November 17, 2016, launched its newest series in the Empowering Innovation Together program. The new Project First Responders features a cloud-based drone platform called GlobalARC for autonomous search and rescue. The drone project will be developed in the Mouser Innovation Lab with parts from platinum sponsor TE Connectivity.
Project First Responders seeks to answer some of the biggest problems facing search and rescue drone operations, such as how to coordinate multiple drones at once, from locations anywhere in the world and share information with experts dispersed at various geographic locations. The first video of this series highlights the GlobalARC platform built by Easy Aerial and provides additional details into the opportunities and challenges of drone-based search and rescue.
“With the Empowering Innovation Together program, Mouser looks to push the boundaries of innovation. This new series goes even further by developing technology that may help save lives,” said Glenn Smith, President and CEO of Mouser Electronics.
Mouser partnered with Easy Aerial to develop a GSM-based solution capable of controlling multiple drones while sharing information in real time, using existing cellular infrastructure. The GlobalARC platform will allow drones to be outfitted with a range of sensors that capture important information such as video, heat imaging, chemical detection, and radiation to help first responders determine when disaster sites are safe to enter.
“Drones, with their agility and small size, seem perfect for search and rescue operations. A helicopter can take hours to send out and can cost thousands of dollars per use,” said Grant Imahara. “Search and rescue teams can launch a drone in just minutes, saving critical time in urgent situations. But we have a lot work ahead of us to make drones perform at their peak in search and rescue operations.”
The drone project also features products from Intel. To learn more about all of Mouser’s Empowering Innovation Together series — featuring the newly developed Innovation Lab for new projects like bringing super-hero technology to life and 3D-printing tools on the International Space Station — visit http://www.mouser.com/empowering-innovation.
