Wiltshire Search and Rescue (WILSAR) has significantly upgraded its aerial search capabilities, thanks to a grant from the WCIT Charity. The funding enabled the team to enhance its drone operations, extending flight time, improving visual perception, and enabling real-time situational awareness for search managers.
The new drone platform is weather-resistant, AI-enabled, and equipped with thermal imaging, scene lighting, and loudspeakers. It can operate in rain, sleet, and snow – conditions that would have grounded their previous aerial support. Hot-swappable batteries and a triple charger now allow for continuous flight, while a second smart controller ensures uninterrupted operations, even in bright sunlight. The drone’s advanced thermal and low-light imaging has also proven invaluable, especially during night operations.
However, WILSAR’s drone technology is not just for finding people faster, but doing it more safely, efficiently, and with minimal disruption to the environment and local communities.
