SZCZIGA in search of missing people
Members of the High Flyers Student Science Club built a SZCZIGA drone used to search for people who are missing or hiding in the forest. The drone is a combination of artificial intelligence and a thermal imaging camera.
The construction of SZCZIGA took over eight months. The team included six students from three faculties of the Silesian University of Technology: Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering.
– We decided to create a good solution that will work in various conditions. The drone has a thermal imaging camera that allows it to detect human heat signatures in a dense forest. This allows the services to identify points of illegal border crossing, says Jakub Gutt, president of the High Flyers Student Science Club.
In addition to the thermal imaging camera, the drone is equipped with artificial intelligence elements.
– Artificial intelligence in this project is responsible for detecting human silhouettes in the camera image. The drone is equipped with an on-board computer that records the image, which is then sent to the server. On it we can see marked places where people are - explains Krzysztof Połeć, a member of High Flyers Student Science Club.
– To create such a model, a group of programmers had to previously record video materials showing a bird's-eye view of an image from a thermal camera, which shows human heat signatures. After collecting such data, the tedious work of training this model begins. Teaching the model involves marking rectangles on such material, within which there is a person, adds the student.
The SZCZIGA drone can be used to search for missing people, e.g. in the mountains.
– Our drone reaches hard-to-reach and dangerous places. It can help rescuers in search operations without endangering human life, which is very important and even crucial, says Jakub Gutt.
The first tests turned out very well. The unit has proven its worth in the field, although, as students admit, there are several solutions that require improvement.
– Our project is still a prototype and has a very large commercial potential. However, in order to be used in real missions, it must be improved - adds Krzysztof Połeć.
SZCZIGA tests took place in the Silesian Insurgents Park in Zabrze. – It looked like this: we gathered members of our Club and placed them in various places overgrown with trees and bushes. We wanted to test our system in areas where people can hide, said Krzysztof Połeć.
After improving the drone's parameters, the students plan to take part in unmanned aerial vehicle competitions.
– SZCZIGA is the first of three models we plan to build. Each of them will later be optimized according to the assumptions of the competition in which it will take part. We definitely intend to use SZCZIGA in the Droniada competition, scheduled for June in the Silesian Park - summarizes Jakub Gutt.
Interdepartmental Science Club of Unmanned Aerial Objects “High Flyers” was started in 2010. During this time, there have been over 250 members who share a common passion for innovation in the field of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), i.e. unmanned aerial vehicles. The Club's activities focus on expanding knowledge and skills in the design, construction and operation of these advanced systems.
“High Flyers” members successfully take part in competitions at national and international levels. 2024 also promises to be an exceptionally busy year. – We plan to implement many ambitious projects that are not only an engineering challenge, but also a logistic one. We are looking forward to what the future will bring, ready for new challenges and successes, say the students.
The project supervisors were: dr hab. Eng. Roman Czyba, prof. SUT and dr Eng. Jaroslaw Domin.
