New Drone-Based Thermal Imagery Can Save Lives

New Drone-Based Thermal Imagery Can Save Lives

thermal imaging

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Traditionally, thermal inspections have been time-consuming, limited to accessible areas, or required manned aircraft that typically yield low-resolution data at a high price. A new technology, the Thermal Live Map, is a real-time mobile mapping solution which delivers insights only thermal imagery can reveal. Thermal Live Map visualizes temperature range variability and creates instant thermal maps for quick, data-guided decisions on the job site.

The solution developed by DroneDeploy provides immediate visual context to situations unseen by the naked eye — all without a computer, SD card, or internet connection. The new solution uses the latest advancements in edge computing to generate thermal drone maps locally on iOS devices as a DJI drone flies.

The system allows first responders to view hundreds of acres in minutes, day or night, penetrating hard-to-reach and hard-to-see terrain where missing or injured persons may be awaiting rescue.

The new solution is particularly valuable for firefighting, giving firefighters the ability to see through smoke and keep track of their personnel in large fire scenes. Thermal Live Map also helps locate precisely where the fire is hottest and provides definitive confirmation the fire is extinguished in specific areas, according to businesswire.com.

Solar panels often overheat, go offline, or require maintenance due to excess dust, scratches or mechanical deficiencies. It’s time-consuming and unreliable to inspect them from the ground. Thermal Live Map can inspect solar farms from the sky in minutes — not days — allowing operators to isolate and measure potential problem areas while the drone is in flight.

Before drones, building and roof inspections were extremely dangerous, time-consuming, and took a physical toll on workers. Thermal Live Map pinpoints cracks, leaks, and structural damage within minutes and minimizes safety risks.

The technology also helps growers spot field stress in real time. They identify irrigation issues, detect ripeness, and analyze plant health early to solve problem areas and avoid lost harvests.