Intelligent drone navigation for search and rescue operations

In search and rescue operations, it is severely crucial to perform a quick scan in the disaster area, localize the wounded people and send aid. In this study, approaches for mapping an unknown environment using image stitching technique was investigated. The image map was employed for detecting humans using computer vision techniques. For indoor environments where GPS is not available, research showed that QR codes can be used for localization. Experimental results demonstrate that drones can be very useful in search and rescue operations.