Anti-flood flying robots:thermal drones work and "are available to everyone"

They also fly in adverse climatic situations and can reduce the risk of flooding:here are the 'remotely piloted aircraft' already in use by the Civil Protection of Calderara di Reno, in the Bologna area

BOLOGNA – Electronic eyes capable of 'spying' on the state of health of rivers and streams:here are the new ones drones with thermal cameras to monitor the embankments before, during and after floods, in order to reduce the risk of flooding and flooding.The volunteers developed the idea Civil Protection of Calderara di Reno, in province of Bologna, thanks to funding from the Carisbo Foundation.The project, launched in February 2024, was presented yesterday at Unified Civil Protection Center to the other volunteer associations that are part of the Bologna consultation.

PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEYS, 2D AND 3D MAPS ON THE BANKS:WHAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF

These drones, explains the Civil Protection of Calderara, are "capable of flying even in adverse weather conditions“ and allow “rapid and precise monitoring of risk areas“.Before any torrential rains, with drones it is possible to make "photographic surveys of the riverbeds and banks", thus identifying "potential critical issues such as landslides and obstacles to the flow".The images collected are then used "to create 2D and 3D maps, essential for prevention".
Furthermore, during floods, the thermal cameras of the flying robots "provide fundamental support for monitoring from the ground", for example by helping to "identify fountains and other problems more easily, helping to prevent possible failures of the embankments".Finally, after the passage of the floods, with drones "it is possible to carry out further surveys to compare the state of the banks and riverbeds with the pre-flood images.This allows us to evaluate critical issues and identify new problems."These tools can also be useful for carrying out "surveys of flooded areas or buildings, creating detailed 3D reconstructions for an in-depth damage assessment".

THREE DRONES AND SIX PILOTS IN THE CALDERARA CIVIL PROTECTION TEAM

This project, he explains Andrea Manzo, president of the association of civil protection volunteers of Calderara di Reno, “represents a fundamental step forward for the safety and effectiveness of prevention operations.We believe that it is important that volunteers are increasingly qualified and use all the new tools that technological development makes available, to make their activities increasingly effective".The drone core of the Civil Protection of Calderara has been "active for over two years - underlines the coordinator Mario Carli– is composed of six certified pilots and we have available three drones owned by the association.We think that drones can significantly help volunteers in monitoring rivers and streams.We will therefore continue in the coming months to develop the procedures, to test new analysis tools to exploit all the potential that these new tools offer us".Finally, the Calderara association is keen to point out that "all the procedures developed are available to all civil protection associations at regional and national level who request them".