The HURRICANE partners launched a survey aimed to identify the operational needs and expectations of first responders regarding the use of autonomous robotic systems in emergency operations. 

Here are the main conclusions.

‍

The HURRICANE project focuses on improving disaster and emergency management through the use of autonomous robotic systems that enhance the safety and efficiency of first responders, such as civil protection services, rescue corps, fire brigades, and other primary emergency response organizations.

‍
Work Package 2 (WP2) of the HURRICANE project aims to identify the operational needs of First Responders (FRs) regarding the use of these technologies, in order to guide their development. To achieve this objective, a series of tasks were established:

‍
• Presentation of the project and invitation to participate addressed to public bodies and private companies involved in emergency response.
• Preparation of a questionnaire based on the project’s development lines.
• Analysis of the survey results.

‍
The survey, consisting of 72 questions, was launched on August 18 by EMA INFOCA and distributed to more than 3,000 contacts. Although the primary target population was First Responders, the survey was also addressed to other stakeholders, such as technology companies, organizations in the environmental and forestry sectors, and entities related to academia and research. Approximately 50 responses were received.

‍
HURRICANE Survey Conclusions

‍
The main conclusions drawn from the survey responses are as follows:

‍
• The emergency sector is generally open to the use of technology and shows a high level of maturity in areas such as unmanned systems.
• The vast majority of emergency services already use some type of unmanned system in their operations. However, UAVs are far more commonly used than UGVs, which currently show limited adoption.
• Drones are mainly used to support forest firefighting operations and search-and-rescue missions.
• The main reasons for valuing this technology are improvements in personnel safety, situational awareness, and operational efficiency.
• Autonomy, vulnerability, and communications are perceived as the main limitations affecting the use of UxV systems by First Responders. In this context, robustness and versatility are the most valued characteristics for UGVs, while autonomy is the most valued feature for UAVs.
• Although the combined use of UAV and UGV systems is not yet widespread among First Responders, there is a clear consensus on their potential usefulness.
• The primary functions proposed for these combined systems include real-time video transmission between platforms and shared geolocation.
• Overall, this overview of the use of UxV technologies in emergency response supports the technological approach adopted by the HURRICANE project.
• The survey analysis strongly endorses the HURRICANE project’s technological strategy, as end users have validated the project’s hypotheses point by point.