International event on future of drones in search and rescue

Experts from across the globe are gathering in the North East later this month to take part in an international conference on the future of drones in search and rescue.
Prof Steven HughesProf Steven Hughes
Prof Steven Hughes

Taking place at Newcastle University on December 11, the conference will welcome delegates from as far afield as New Zealand and the United States and from a wide range of emergency responder services.

Led by Northumberland-based The Centre for Search Research and Newcastle University Business School, the conference aims to reflect on current thinking and experiences of drone technology; harness insights from the invited guests; and establish how drones can be integrated effectively into complex, multi-agency search and rescue operations.

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Professor Stephen Hughes, from Newcastle University Business School, said: “This conference builds on findings from Exercise Northumberland, a research project undertaken earlier this year to compare the effectiveness of ground and air assets – including drones – in a search environment. Our report from Exercise Northumberland received a lot of international attention and we’ve built on this to bring together experts from around the world to help us draft a roadmap for future research into the use of drones in search and rescue.”