A versatile UAV near real-time mapping solution for disaster response - Concept, ideas and implementation

Abstract

In recent years, the proliferation and further development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) led to a great number of key technologies, advances and opportunities especially in the realm of time-critical applications. UAVs as a platform provide a unique combination of flexibility, affordability and sensor technology which enables the design of cost-effective and intriguing services particularly for disaster response. This contribution presents a concept for UAV-based near real-time mapping system for disaster relief to provide decision-making support for first responders particularly for possible disaster scenarios in Austria. We outline our system concept and its respective architecture, discuss requirements from a stakeholder perspective as well as legal regulations and initiatives at an EU level. In the methodology section of this paper, the preliminary data processing pipeline with respect to the near real-time orthomosaic generation and the semantic segmentation network are presented. Lastly, first experimental results of the pipeline are shown, and further advances are discussed.