A Bengaluru firm has developed a vehicle that can be used to carry out rescue operations in water, such as take the first rope across a stream during floods. Two such units have already been purchased by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).The vehicle, termed unmanned multi-purpose craft, has been developed by AlphaMERS Ltd, a firm engaged in providing solutions in disaster response.
The craft costs just under `1 lakh and, looks like a small aircraft and is double the size of a drone. It can move on water, and is propelled by an electric motor, which is powered by a battery. Currently, the craft is manoevered manually by a person on land via two ropes attached to the craft. The material used is aluminium, making the device very light.
Executive Director of AlphaMERS D Chandrasekhar, said the device can be used to rescue people before they drown. “We are working on building a separate device, similar to a lifebuoy, to be attached in front of the craft. So a drowning person can grab it and be pulled ashore by the rope attached to the craft,” Chandrasekhar said.
