Final Year Project

Project Title

Multi-UAV System for Forest Search and Rescue

Description

Forests are challenging environments for navigation, with rugged terrain, dense canopies, and poor lighting making search-and-rescue (SAR) missions difficult. Low visibility at night, unreliable communication, and GPS denial further complicate operations. Aerial surveys struggle due to canopy obstruction, and despite significant costs, SAR success rates remain low. Our work focuses on an autonomous UAV system for forest search-and-rescue in simulation. Using LiDAR-based localization, 3D mapping, and efficient path planning, our UAV achieves high accuracy in dense environments. It autonomously navigates using an optimized exploration strategy that balances information gain and energy efficiency. This system employs thermal imaging to enhance human detection, making the system more effective in real-world rescue scenarios where common RGB cameras fail to be of use because of varying lighting This system has the potential to significantly improve SAR efficiency, reduce costs, and increase recovery rates, ultimately saving lives in critical situations.