integrates robotic tools across land, sea, and aircraft forecasting systems.

systems. When a disaster occurs, the focus shifts

domains, achieving success in multi-robot search and rescue to emergency response, which prioritizes Search and Rescue
missions. Leveraging an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) (SAR) operations and addressing the basic humanitarian
and an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), the team needs of affected communities. Finally, emergency recovery
autonomously surveyed and mapped the area. The AUV, steps in to restore living conditions in areas devastated by
equipped with automatic target detection, precisely located disasters. This phase involves a rapid assessment of damage,
and inspected targets, including underwater pipe leaks and reconstruction, and rehabilitation efforts to bring about a
victims. Their achievements, which included detecting the swift recovery and return to normalcy.
leak and mapping infrastructure, earned them the second-
place position in the overall grand challenge. Additionally,
the team validated their capabilities in autonomous
transportation and deployment through a successful
autonomous AUV deployment mission.
DARIUS [1],[18] is a project tailored for multinational
Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, involving a structured
operational approach with Coordination, Tactical, and
Execution levels. Coordination manages planning, Tactical
oversees tasking and operations, and Execution involves on-
the-ground teams. The project seamlessly integrates
unmanned and manned systems, aspiring to establish a
collaborative "system of systems."
To assess its success, DARIUS uses three scenarios
collaboratively designed with end users, addressing both
large-scale events and everyday SAR challenges. These
scenarios undergo rigorous training in simulation platforms
and real-world field trials.
DARIUS' Generic Ground Stations (GGS) employ OGC Fig 2 : Search and Rescue Process [9]
services for efficient data exchange with multiple Ground The IAMSAR (International Aeronautical and Maritime
Control Stations (GCS). These services include Sensor Search and Rescue) guideline classifies situations into three
Observation Service (SOS) for querying sensor capabilities emergency phases, reflecting the level of endangerment to
and Web Feature Service (WFS) for distributing tactical people's safety: [19]:
mission features among ground stations, ensuring a cohesive
and interoperable SAR system.
In sea survival searches, the vast water expanse poses a • Uncertainty: This phase occurs when there's uncertainty
challenge for visual detection, leading to potential errors in about a ship's safety, marked by a failure to disclose its
traditional surveillance against the sea background. position or arriving later than expected.
Common vision techniques, such as colour recognition, may • Alert: Declared when a ship needs assistance but isn't
result in false positives [1]. An innovative solution involves immediately in danger.
using visual saliency to identify rescue vehicles, offering • Distress: This phase is declared when there's a high
resilience to changes in geometry and colour. Despite certainty of immediate danger, necessitating urgent
methods like saliency formation between frames, challenges assistance.
persist. To address these issues, thermal cameras play a
crucial role in reducing false positives and identifying less Understanding these phases is vital for the Search and
obvious targets. By segmenting the visual field based on Rescue Mission Coordinator (SMC) to determine
heat sensitivity, they distinguish human heat signatures. The appropriate actions, each phase having a checklist primarily
application of cutting-edge technologies to tackle optical focused on information gathering and reminders to dispatch
detection challenges significantly improves the efficacy of a Search and Rescue Unit (SRU).
search and rescue operations at sea. A. Search region
Marine SAR decisions heavily hinge on data from the
III.METHODOLOGY marine dynamic environment, including wind, wave,
current, and sea temperature. Wind and flow data assist in
The Search and Rescue SAR process is categorized into
predicting the target's drift trajectory, while water
four phases Fig. 2, mitigation, preparedness, response, and
temperature data is crucial for estimating the survival period
recovery [9].
of the SAR target [3].
Disaster mitigation involves a comprehensive approach
AIS (Automated Identification System) data provides
encompassing risk identification, analysis, and mitigation
information on the current location of a ship. Typically,
through technical means, public awareness campaigns, and
individuals obtain AIS data by interfacing with free radar
spatial planning. This proactive phase aims to decrease the
AIS and shore-based AIS. In Search and Rescue (SAR)
impact of potential disasters [8]. Preparedness, another
operations, knowing the precise position of a ship or person
integral aspect, involves making decisions on how to
is crucial. However, the ship in distress may be influenced
respond to emergencies, including activities like emergency
by the surrounding sea environment and drift after the
planning, training, and the establishment of monitoring and