The UPS Foundation, American Red Cross And CyPhy Works Launch Disaster Relief Drone Pilot Program
September 07 2017 - 11:00AM
The UPS Foundation, the American Red Cross and drone manufacturer
CyPhy Works, Inc., today announced a partnership to launch a drone
pilot program, marking the first time the American Red Cross will
test using a tethered drone to assess damage after a major natural
disaster in the United States.
“With such catastrophic injury and damage being caused by
natural disasters, every minute counts. It’s essential that public
and private organizations work together to find new and innovative
solutions to support and enhance recovery efforts after a natural
disaster strikes,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS
Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer. “Accurately
and quickly assessing the impact is a critical step to help save
lives and lay the groundwork for eventual recovery and rebuilding.
The UPS Foundation is pleased to bring together, fund and support
this effort, in partnership with CyPhy Works and the American Red
Cross.”
Given the magnitude of recovery efforts taking place in Texas
and Louisiana following the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey,
the parties agreed there was no better time to begin the pilot.
UPS, the American Red Cross and CyPhy will deploy the drone and
conduct a one-week, on-site test in an area badly affected by the
flooding. This pilot could serve as a future model for a rapid
response team.
“The measure of success for the American Red Cross on this pilot
will be to prove that drones can help support, complement and
accelerate the work already being done by our tremendous
volunteers,” said Brad Kieserman, vice president, Disaster Services
& Logistics, American Red Cross. “In collaboration with UPS and
CyPhy Works, we are thrilled to be conducting a pilot program with
a drone for the first time in the United States. This will help us
make faster assessments of affected communities that critically
need our assistance.”
The CyPhy Works Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and
Communications (PARC™) system is being evaluated for effectiveness
in supporting ground-based response teams. The tethered drone will
go up 400 feet to provide aerial observation. The 30X zoom camera
provides tens of miles of visibility and will be able to identify
homes that have experienced water damage long before waters recede.
A tethered drone can provide uninterrupted coverage at a disaster
site for days or weeks at a time. Also, PARC can keep flying when
hooked up to a generator as it’s powered from the ground, whereas a
battery-operated drone in disaster conditions would need to be
re-charged. High-image recognition tools and online comparison with
previous imagery may help identify areas with the most damage and
allow the extent of damages to be understood more quickly.
“CyPhy Works is proud to be part of this important mission,”
said Lance Vanden Brook, CEO of CyPhy Works, Inc. “PARC will
provide the first responders and recovery crews with a stable
fixed-location point of observation to help capture these crucial
images without interruption.”
Innovation through automation and robotics has long been a focus
for the world’s largest package delivery company. In fact, UPS has
been exploring the use of drones to deliver humanitarian aid in
hard-to-reach parts of the world. In May of last year, UPS entered
into a first-of-its-kind, public-private partnership with Zipline,
a California-based robotics company, and Gavi, the Vaccine
Alliance, to help create the world’s first national medical drone
delivery network in Rwanda. And, last September, UPS and
CyPhy Works conducted a test using a drone for delivery of urgently
needed medical products to a remote, difficult-to-access location
off the coast of Massachusetts.
About The UPS Foundation
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a
broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages
and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the
deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the
world of business. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a
legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting
programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs.
Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation leads its global citizenship
programs and is responsible for facilitating community involvement
to local, national, and global communities. In 2016, UPS and its
employees, active and retired, invested more than $116 million in
charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found
on the web at UPS.com/Foundation. To get UPS news direct,
follow @UPS_News on Twitter.
About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional
support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the
nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides
international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and
their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that
depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to
perform its mission. For more information, please visit
redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at
@RedCross.
About CyPhy Works
CyPhy Works is a leading drone company pursuing innovative
aerial platforms to support customers in industries including
defense, public safety, agriculture, energy, logistics,
marine, mining, power and transportation. CyPhy Works’
tethered drones offer persistent, long-duration mission capability;
secure data links for payload data, and for command/control; and
easy, autonomous flight. For more information please visit
http://www.cyphyworks.com or follow us on twitter at
@CyPhyWorksInc or @HelenGreiner.
Kristen Petrella
404-828-4182
kpetrella@ups.com
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