Autonomous search and rescue of in-water victims with unmanned aerial vehicles in marine environments

人们意外地在海水中，从轮船上说，是一个紧急事件。国际海事组织（imo）的规则规定，必须努力定位和救助受害者。通常，及时的反应是困难的，事件发现得很晚。船只需要额外的时间来执行人员落水操作（威廉姆森转向），定位受害者，召集救援人员，部署救援船只，并执行救援本身。如果受害者处于海况、低温水域或黑暗中，情况就更加复杂了。它们因疲惫、体温过低或暴露而溺亡。人们意外落水的原因有：(1)工作事故（35-50%），(2)与酒精有关（25-35%），或自杀（20-40%）。除了极少数例外情况，目前还没有一种经济、快速部署和在船舶掉头时快速投入使用的自主水下受害者检测工具来定位受害者。

People unexpectedly in ocean water, from say a ship, is an emergency incident. The International Maritime Organization rules stipulate efforts must be applied to localize and rescue the victim(s). Usually, a timely response is difficult and the incident is discovered late. Additional time is required for the vessel to perform the man-overboard manoeuver (Williamson turn), localize the victim(s), muster the rescue crew, deploy a rescue vessel, and to perform the rescue itself. This is further complicated if the victims are in a sea state, hypothermic waters, or in the dark. They succumb by drowning from exhaustion, hypothermia or exposure. People are unexpectedly in the water due to: (1) work accidents (35-50%), (2) alcohol-related (25-35%), or suicides (20-40%). With very few exceptions, there are no autonomous in-water victim detection tools to localize the victims that are economical, rapidly deployable and quickly engaged while the ship turns around, etc. The proposed concept of deploying an unmanned aerial vehicle with on-board intelligent search abilities and upon localization of the victim, deploys a buoyancy assist to the victim. This puts into play an immediate search to localize the in-water victims while the ship turns around, organizes its on-board rescue effort, etc. Otherwise the search does not start until the ship is 'on station' and is usually done visually at sea level. The proposed concept capitalizes on best use of time and resources in a situation where minutes make a life or death difference. Given Canada's expansive coastlines and the time it takes to initiate land-based search and rescue efforts this tools would be of interest to Canadian marine search and rescue for cruise ships, Coast Guard ships, Department of National Defence ships, offshore rigs, larger fishing vessels, etc. The objective of this NSERC Collaborative and Research Development grant is to identify and address capabilities that are required for subject problem.