Marc Sandelowsky, programme director of the drone innovation cluster and test centre Space53: ‘In the future, drones will mainly be used to do their work automatically or even autonomously. Until now, almost nowhere in Europe has it been possible to fly drones outside the direct view of the pilot. Thanks to the permission granted by Space53, Mapture and Twente Safety Campus to fly BVLOS day and night, we at Space53 can get serious about developing these automatic and autonomous drones.’

Bundling innovation power

Space53, Twente Safety Campus, emergency services such as fire brigade, police, ambulance and RJ & Safety Security, Mapture, State of Motion, Robor, Saxion and University of Twente, are providing input to ensure that emergency and security services can work more effectively and efficiently by deploying drones.

‘A fantastic development! Intensive cooperation from all partners at Technology Base has made it possible to obtain the necessary waivers,’ said David Bornerbroek, Twente Safety Campus manager. ‘After we have been able to test the system properly on closed terrain in this way, emergency services such as fire and police will also be able to use automatic drones for faster aerial imaging in the future.’

Drone in the box

In cooperation with Mapture, a so-called ‘drone in the box’ has been developed. This consists of an enclosure (box) in which the drone is set up and can be activated remotely by, for example, a sensor or camera. The moment this system is activated, the box opens, the drone automatically starts up and begins its flight. 
The first moments after a suspicious situation or an incident are crucial; correct information is vital for all first responders in the first few minutes. Combining the technology behind sensors and drones makes it possible to have drones continuously on standby in certain (high-risk) areas and deploy them when the situation calls for it. The automatic drone emerges autonomously from the docking station and can provide a security organisation or the control room with vital information about a potentially suspicious situation in the business park while flying in. 

Further developing technology for operational processes

Following the tests at the Technology Base business park, the fire brigade and police are exploring options for operational testing and deployment of the automatic drones from a location in the field. A drone platform has been realised at the Glanerbrug fire station. From here, the drone can automatically take off and take aerial images to support operational units when they are still on the way. The control room can watch these images and anticipate them. Another possibility is that in times of drought, preventive flights can be flown over vast (natural) areas, such as ‘t Aamsveen or German territory. In this way, we contribute cross-border to fewer incidents, fewer casualties and less damage. 

Restrictive regulations on drone use at airport

It is extraordinary that this initiative can take off, partly because of its location next to Twente Airport and the legal and technical restrictions regarding drone use on or next to an airport site. Through agreements with Twente Airport on the time and location of drone use and through careful coordination by Twente Airport with the Aviation Inspectorate, Twente Airport managed to obtain the necessary exemptions. This initiative shows that intensive cooperation by all partners at Technology Base can lead to extraordinary and innovative results.