Land Rover reveals drone-equipped Discovery for search and rescue operations

Land Rover developed a Discovery vehicle for the Red Cross, equipping it with a drone that would explore remote landscapes after earthquakes or avalanches.

The car is the result of the Hero project, which saw Land Rover from the special vehicle operations team working alongside the Austrian Red Cross to create a vehicle suitable for search and rescue operations.

Together, both teams have developed an updated version of a Land Rover Discovery SUV, which includes a roof-mounted drone and a landing system that allows the drone to land on the vehicle as it moves .

When in flight, the drone can transmit live images to Red Cross emergency response teams, helping them to respond more quickly and effectively to landslides, earthquakes, floods And avalanches.

John Edwards, director of special operations for Land Rover, described Project Hero as "the optimal combination of improved capabilities and innovative technologies."

"We hope to help the Red Cross save lives in emergencies," he said.

Project Hero, which was revealed at this year's Geneva Motor Show, will be based at the Austrian Red Cross training center in Erzberg and in the mountainous region of Eisenerz in Vienna for 12 months starting in June 2017.

Here, drones will be tested and used in simulated rescue operations to optimize the technology and make it suitable for complex natural disaster scenarios.

In addition to the drone technology, the car will have a sliding floor in the rear loading space that can be deployed as additional LED lighting specially positioned to assist night vision. It also has feeding points that accept multiple takes from different regions.


This year's Geneva Motor Show will take place from 9 to 19 March. Other news of the event include the new friendly form of Volkswagen for the cars of the future and the concept of Airbus for a flying car.