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It is an undeniable fact that drones and robots are now important tools in efficient disaster management. The capacity of these technologies to operate in dangerous or remote locations has changed the way we tackle all forms of disasters. These technologies assist with data collection, search and rescue operations, damage assessment, and the supply of goods. Below is a breakdown of how drones and robots are used in various disaster management phases.

1. Search and Rescue Operations

UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) equipped with cameras, thermal imaging devices, and Light Detection and Ranging LiDAR, for example, are capable of quickly scanning disaster areas like a collapsed building or flooded area to find targets drones can find survivors or people in dangerous locations more easily. This is particularly helpful in cases where accessing the areas as a human would be considerably difficult or unsafe. Robots, on the other hand, can be deployed on the ground and penetrate the debris, providing real-time images or visuals and distributing supplies to the people or animals inside the affected building.

Example: In the case of earthquakes or landslides, robots and UAVs work together seamlessly by quickly segregating vast locations and sending out rescue missions in the areas of focus while ground bots infiltrate collapsed buildings to carry out people-locating missions.

2. Damage Assessment

During the aftermath of a disaster, drones can be helpful as they take aerial pictures of the affected area, assisting the authorities in determining the scope of the disaster. In this case, a drone functions similarly to a camera that has a zoom option for unsafe areas as it can hover above them and provide videos or pictures. This information has critical importance in taking necessary action such as deciding on the construction resources needed for rebuilding or even important strategic aspects.

Example: After floods caused by hurricanes, there is a need to quickly gather a lot of data to inform the responders, drones can capture that data in a matter of seconds helping the responders evacuate or search for the people.

3. Delivery of Supplies

If roads to certain varieties of areas have been destroyed and there is an impending disaster, drones can be used to freely transport medical aid, food, and water to remote regions. These flying machines enable one to overcome obstacles and quickly drop supplies, which is beneficial in life-death situations such as those caused by fire or an explosion.

Example: Flotation devices, medicine, or an emergency first aid kit can be air-dropped directly onto beaches after a cyclone or typhoon, in that way, the drones can reach places where there was damage done to the buildings during the disaster.

4. Monitoring Highly Risky Surroundings

Bots and drones can be sent to monitor highly risky scenarios such as nuclear accidents, wildfires, and even chemical sprays. Specially trained robots can also be designed to work in extreme conditions such as high-radiated or even highly toxic environments. By taking flight, drones can aid authorities in taking precautionary measures by collecting data on radiation levels, air temperature, and even air quality in times of chaos.

Example: Drones were able to map out and collect air radiation after the nuclear incident in Fukushima which helped minimize risk levels for workers.

5. Military Interrogation Equipment and Travels Communication

Responders often have a tough time during and after natural disasters due to damage caused to communication tools, but with the help of communication equipment built in drones, temporary networks can be formed to ensure that communication can still take place and aid can be provided. Drones can act as alternative communication methods when networks fail due to natural disasters.

Example: Bridges and roads are often destroyed during an earthquake or flood which damages communication tools, drones can then be deployed and used as portable networks which can help coordinate responders so that they can help affected people.

6. Prediction and Preparation for Risk

While they always provide benefits during the response stage of a disaster, robots and drones can also be used to prepare ahead of time. They pick up real-time information on climatic and other ecological variables that can be used by scientists and inside features of government to forecast or more plausibly prepare for natural events like tornadoes and wildfires or even more low-profile events like eruptions of volcanic systems. Drones can also scout areas and monitor environmental changes to determine areas more likely to be affected by disasters in the future.

For example, drones have been deployed to monitor the activity of volcanoes to predict eruptions or lava flows.

Benefits of Robots and Drones in Responding to Emergencies

1. Reaching Impossible Places: Drones can operate in areas that may be dangerous for people, for example, inside a collapsed building, a region that has been flooded, or any other hazardous area, making them more useful and efficient.

2. Celerity and Efficiency: These technologies can work and gather data on a significant scale and in a small window of time which is utterly important in responding to a catastrophe.

3. Economical: Deploying drones and robots cuts the level of human resources needed in responding to any given disaster making the activities cheaper.

4. Lower Risk: With the spheres of activity and intensity being increased through the use of drones and robots the amount of risk to a human responder is minimized since they can carry out the most dangerous of tasks in the worst of conditions.

Conclusion

In contemporary disaster management, unmanned aerial vehicles and automated machines have proven to be of great value. Be it through conducting search and rescue operations to save lives, delivering aid, or even collecting crucial information, such technology has changed the way we address the aftermath of a disaster. As these new technologies are incorporated into existing solutions, their use is only expected to increase, which will enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the global strategies for disaster response.