AARA_Airborne Avalanche Rescue Assistant

Drone based system for detection of avalanche victims

2010/2011
Diploma
HfG Offenbach

Once caught by an avalanche one has only a realistic chance to survive if found and rescued quickly.
In numbers that means: 15 minutes!
This period of time is too short for usual rescue methods. AARA is a positioning drone that is based on the concept of an autonomous system for detection and positioning of avalanche victims. In case of an avalanche aside the mountain rescue service the positioning drone AARA is alerted. It is based in range of avalanche endangered zones and can be on site immediately. AARAs task is to locate avalanche victims and marking the spots where they are buried. While rescuers team up and head towards the site the drone already attends victim positioning autonomously. In this way it saves valueable time so the arriving rescuers can start recovering the victims without delay.

The rotor unit is formally as well as functionally the central element. It is gimbal-mounted. The rotor is able to swing in any position because of the horizontal and the vertical axis of rotation. The drone is able to move variably in three dimensions. The axis is moved by micro-controller managed electric motors, so a steady flight is assured. Because of the coaxial configuration of the propellers, a separate torque balance is unnecessary. There is no drift, hence flight is steady and precise.

Alongside the precise and steady flight, AARA has to manage its job as a positioning drone. It has a GPS for navigation and an ultrasonic sensor for distance measurement. The positioning is done by the already established RECCO-System. It works with passive reflectors and active detectors. The reflectors independence of energy is the main advantage so they can be integrated easily and cost-efficient to the ski-equipment. In addition AARA features a communication unit to exchange data with the mountain rescue service and the base station, as well as a magazine of colour cartridges to mark the find spot.

The AARA-drones are based in autarkic stations. These not only shelter the drones, but also serve as a node between the cross-linked avalanche detectors, AARA and the mountain rescue service. This is where all information converges.