Micro-Sized Drone System will Save Lives

Micro-Sized Drone System will Save Lives

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Every year, in the USA alone, an average of 54 firefighters and 165 police officers are killed, tens of thousands are injured and many more first responders are at constant, everyday risk. One of the problems is that there is no true solution for getting an image in dangerous indoor environments, without risking human lives.

The Israeli startup Eyeron has been developing an innovative system based on micro-sized drones, that allows first responders to get a live video feed from dangerous indoor environments, without risking their lives.

The company participated at the iHLS Security Accelerator’s third cycle and has recently won the fourth prize at the iHLS Startup Competition for Security and HLS. Nimrod Ron, founder and CEO, says that winning the prize in the competition, where the judges were key figures in the security and HLS world, is another confirmation that there is a real need in the solution the company brings to market.

The technology allows first responders to get a live video feed from dangerous indoor environments, without risking their lives. How was the idea devised? According to Ron, “in 2015, three years after I had completed my service in Shaldag unit, the Israeli Special Forces, I got called, as part of my reserve duty, to secure the Israeli search & rescue teams in Nepal, after the massive earthquakes. We entered hundreds of buildings that were at high risk of collapsing only to see if there is anything, anyone, inside. The question I kept asking myself was why isn’t there any platform that will allow me, allow us, to get a better understanding of what is happening inside, instead of us risking our lives.”

Nimrod Ron, founder and CEO

The challenge is threefold – currently, there are no effective solutions that enable a live video feed from inside a building to a safe, outdoor location. Moreover, indoor use cannot rely on GPS navigation, which is blocked by ceilings. And finally, first responder drones need to be built under strict quality standards, in order to withstand harsh conditions.

Eyeron’s system is capable of transmitting a live video feed from inside a building to a safe, outdoor location. The user can focus on the mission instead of piloting, as if he was walking inside the building, while the system allows users to control multiple units simultaneously, working as one.

Eyeron works closely with governmental bodies and first responder agencies in Israel and the US – law enforcement, firefighters, search and rescue and other leading users. The unique needs and workflows of each one of them have been taken into account in the development process.

The company works with strong distributors around the world and advanced purchasing procedures are underway with many customers. Letters of intent were received from leading fire and police departments in the US.

Eyeron’s team includes engineers and algorithm experts with decades of experience in the development of miniature, light-weight and low power avionics for the defense and homeland security sectors, expertizing in maintaining the market’s highest standards.

The company is currently in the midst of a development process, and within the next few months will close its financing round.

Its vision is to get several drones dispatched into a building autonomously, without human involvement, at a GPS-blocked environment. The drones will screen the space, inter-communicate, and supply the first responder teams outside with all the information that is required for them to manage the mission.