In operation for the past one month as part of the Civil Defence’s Smart Services, no height is too high for the Exploration Quad Copter, used in conducting exploration trips for safety hunting.
In a city full of skyscrapers, battling high-rise blazes can present fire fighters with life threatening decisions, but the Dubai Civil Defence has now introduced a device that can assess how big a risk it is before sending rescuers into a building.
In operation for the past one month as part of the Civil Defence’s Smart Services, no height is too high for the Exploration Quad Copter, used in conducting exploration trips for safety hunting.
On show at this year’s Intersec 2014 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the Ministry of Interior’s Director of Preventative Safety Department Lt-Colonel Jamal Ahmed Ibrahim says the device is a first of its kind in the UAE, and the world.
“Nobody else in the world uses this kind of device in the way that we (Dubai Civil Defence) do. We use it for inspections, monitoring safe practice and fires.”
Resembling a traditional remote control helicopter — bar the addition of two extra propellers — the quad copter comes in three different models and can go above and beyond the world’s tallest building, reaching heights of up to 1000m.
Operational from up to 1km away, the multi-use device can be controlled manually, or by using a GPS tracking system — a feature which saves time and money according to Lt-Col Ibrahim.
Aptly timed with the ongoing transition of Dubai becoming a Smart City, and in an age where technology dominates, Lt-Col Ibrahim says the concept came about after a meeting with His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
“Our Shaikh Mohammed said he wanted something intelligent. For that we chose an intelligent system, and technology breeds intelligence.”
As well as being able to effectively control fire emergencies and better gauge the risk factors involved in fighting a fire, the mini exploration aircraft can be used to early detect violations made by residents and companies alike.
“The smaller model can fly into areas where inspectors would usually find difficult to manoeuvre in and out of,” Lt-Col Ibrahim says, adding that if a violation is detected, the inspector at the control centre can then contact the violator and warn them of their findings.
He says the new electronic inspections back Dubai’s journey to becoming a green city as it eliminates the need for paper on site as it collects, documents and analyses the information via video.
Director of Dubai Civil Defence’s Smart Technology Section Ali Salem AB Ghalaita — and one of the main operators of the quad copters — says with only three in operation at the moment, he is hopeful that the next few months will witness the roll out of the aircraft in every Civil Defence station in the emirate.
“We need to look to the future. With the number of fire fighters in our section, we can’t cover Dubai, it’s too big. That’s why we need to use technology to help us. This is just the beginning for us,” he says, adding that once this roll-out is complete, the department will look to create similar devices to help Civil Defence workers in the future.
With the dawn of the Expo 2020 on the horizon, Lt-Col Ibrahim says the exploration copters are the perfect solution to help monitor and ensure that ongoing constructions works are being completed to the highest standards.
Manufactured in three different sizes, the smallest model is used in violations detection, and can fly for up to 25 minutes at any one time. Its compact size enables it to manoeuvre in and out of small spaces and is mainly used in warehouses and buildings to detect safety issues, storage problems etc.
The medium-sized model is used to support firefighting operations and can be airborne for up to minutes at any one time. The third model is used during major fire accidents, helps to monitor traffic flow and is sometimes used for promotional purposes by capturing aerial photos of the city.
Currently in its 16th edition, Intersec 2014 started on Sunday and concluded on Tuesday, with estimated visitors’ numbers expected to reach 25,000 across three days.
