Search & Rescue Land Rover Deploys Drone From Roof

This tricked-out Land Rover Discovery can launch a drone, stream live video to passengers, and retrieve the autonomous aerial vehicle without stopping.

Land Rover and the Red Cross just collaborated to build a cutting edge search-and-rescue vehicle. On the roof of the SUV, a drone can launch during transit and help save your life. It’s called Project Hero.

Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show, the Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations division designed the vehicle for use by the Austrian Red Cross.

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Project Hero is the union of a modified Land Rover Discovery and drone for search-and-rescue missions. The drone rides in an enclosed platform on top of the SUV. The platform opens for launch and provides a pad for takeoff and landing.

The drone rides secure thanks to “magnetic retention technology,” a first to the world of vehicle and drone technology, the brand states.

Project Hero Drone Technology

Once the drone is in the air, live footage transmits to response teams. Landslides, avalanches, and other emergencies can be assessed from above, quickening response times.

The drone is an M480L Multicopter from Taiwanese company Align. It fits entirely within the orange box on the top of the Discovery.

The max speed of the drone is 33.5 mph with a runtime of 20 minutes. It can transmit and receive data up to 1 kilometer away.

Land Rover Discovery ‘Advanced Command Vehicle’

The vehicle also has search-and-rescue specifications, with LED lighting for night vision, extra power supply points, and a sliding floor that operates as an additional work surface.

On top of the vehicle is where the drone magic happens. A self-centering technology ensures a secure landing when the vehicle is in motion.

Under the hood, the Discovery has a 3.0-liter TD6 engine and all-wheel drive.

Project Hero, June 2017

The project commences in June 2017 with the Austrian Red Cross. They will deploy in the training center in Erzberg, a mountainous mining area in Eisenerz, and Vienna.

It will be used for training during simulations of complex natural-disaster scenarios and other emergency situations.

The project culminates a 64-year relationship between Land Rover and the Red Cross. While it remains to be field-proven over years, drone technology is on the cutting edge of search-and-rescue.

We hope the project helps save lives and speeds rescues in the wild.