The accelerated development of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), colloquially referred to as “drones,” has created exciting new possibilities for emergency response teams that bolster the safety of everyone involved in emergency response scenarios, victims and first responders alike. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has continually supported research and development efforts into innovative UAS capabilities that can be employed by first responders in life-threatening situations.
Through its Public Safety Communications Research Division, NIST has hosted six research competitions, dubbed the First Responder USA Challenge, supporting the advancement of UAS technology in emergency response scenarios since 2018. For example, the University of Maryland’s AMAV team, one of five winners in the final stage of the competition, employed cutting-edge technologies to create the Intrigue UAS, which used real-time 3D mapping to autonomously navigate a hazardous interior environment.
The most recent iteration of this initiative was launched in 2024, offering up to 730,000 dollars in prize money to develop wireless UAS data-gathering solutions for first-response teams. They specifically request IoT, AI, digital mapping, and other advanced communications technologies to provide first responders with invaluable information that can be utilized to plan the early and ongoing phases of response. Ten project teams were awarded a $15,000 prize award in stage 1 of the competition, intended to garner participation amongst teams that have not fielded UAS devices, and so far only one team, Team NavigateIO, has been awarded a $2,000 mid-stage progress review award in stage 2.
Recent tragedies that have afflicted the nation, such as the LA wildfires, highlight the importance of tools that can autonomously assist first responders in recovery efforts. In June of last year, Orange County, CA Fire Chief Kevin Fetterman remarked in testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security that the “key to public safety’s use of drones is communication and coordination.” Fetterman’s advice makes NIST’s continual involvement in the research and development of UAS outfitted with advanced communications technologies all the more prevalent.
For more information on NIST’s advancement of innovative UAS technology for use in emergency response scenarios, visit the following link: