Indian Naval Academy develops two-drone system to locate people in distress at sea and deliver lifebuoys

A team at the Indian Naval Academy has developed a two-drone system designed to assist maritime search and rescue operations by combining aerial surveillance with the delivery of lifebuoys. The system uses one autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to detect people in the water and a second to carry a lifebuoy to the identified location, offering rescuers a way to respond more quickly to emergencies at sea.

Speaking exclusively to ANI, Midshipman Sudhanshu Tanwar, one of the developers, explained that the two UAVs coordinate through long-range radio frequency (RF) communication. The system combines camera-based surveillance, artificial intelligence-assisted detection and GPS-guided flight, while retaining human control over the final lifebuoy release.

Also Read: Congress state chief claims China entered 50 km into Arunachal Pradesh, CM Pema Khandu fact-checks

How the Indian Naval Academy’s two-drone rescue system works

The system consists of a quadcopter for search operations and a hexacopter for delivering rescue equipment. The quadcopter scans the water using 2K optical and thermal cameras, with an artificial intelligence model called YOLO analysing the live video feed to flag a possible person in distress.

Once a potential target is detected, the hexacopter takes off and navigates to the location using GPS while carrying a lifebuoy. However, the rescue equipment is not released automatically. Tanwar told ANI that an operator must authorise the drop, keeping a human in control of that decision.

After delivering the lifebuoy, the hexacopter returns to its starting point autonomously. The two UAVs communicate over a long-range RF link, allowing the search and delivery functions to work together.

Flight time, speed and payload capacity of the drones

Both UAVs were built by the development team, with different specifications suited to their respective roles.

The quadcopter, which is responsible for detecting people in the water, has a flight time of 45 minutes, a payload capacity of 0.5 kg and a maximum speed of 50 km/h.

The hexacopter, designed to carry and deliver the lifebuoy, has a flight time of 25 minutes, a payload capacity of 2.5 kg and a maximum speed of 40 km/h.

Both drones have an operating radius of 10 km, according to the details shared by Tanwar.

How the drones could assist maritime rescue operations

The system is intended to help rescuers locate people in distress and deliver flotation equipment to them without waiting for a rescue team to reach the precise location by boat. By combining camera surveillance, AI-assisted detection and GPS-guided delivery, the drones are designed to support the initial stages of a search and rescue mission.

Tanwar said the team’s objective is to provide rescuers with a faster way to find and reach people in danger at sea. The system’s two-drone arrangement separates the task of identifying a potential person in the water from the task of delivering a lifebuoy, while keeping the final release decision with a human operator.