The revolutionary tech that is helping save more lives

Emergency services are at the forefront of some of the deadliest disasters humans face, such as bushfires, earthquakes, pandemics and floods. As technology grows beyond society’s expectations of many years ago, the industry is continuously pressured to keep up and utilise what’s available to save lives. From tech that can control as many as 1,000 drones through to night vision goggles, Australian Aviation looks at revolutionary tech changing the game within the emergency services industry.

One device, 1,000 drones: Little Ripper drones and Advanced Navigation

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are continuing to grow in popularity, accelerated by the pandemic’s ruthless forced exit of thousands of aircraft pilots. The global drone industry is expected to grow from $30 million in 2020 to over $50 million by 2025. While drones have been on a steady rise for the past decade, emergency services have only utilised the technology in the past few years. 

In early October, Little Ripper drones partnered with software company Advanced Navigation to provide the first technology that utilises 4G/5G networks to control up to 1,000 drones at a time along a span of 1,000 kilometres. Other companies have attempted similar ambitions, such as controlling multiple drones at a time. Still, Little Ripper and Advanced Navigation have reached new heights this year.