Police to use AI recognition drones to help find the missing

Police Scotland has unveiled a new aerial drone system to help in searches for missing and vulnerable people.

The remotely-piloted aircraft system (RPAS) can see things we can't to try to work out where people are.

It uses advanced cameras and neural computer networks to spot someone it is looking for - from "a speck" up to 150 metres away.

Its recognition software is compact enough to be run on a phone, with the technology learning as it goes.

"The drone itself has very special sensors on it," said Insp Nicholas Whyte, of Police Scotland's air support unit.

"There's a very highly-powered optical camera which can allow us to see things quite clearly from a good height. Also, there's a thermal imaging sensor which detects heat.

"We're there to find people. People who need our help or people who are lost."

bbc.com