READ DESCRIPTION BELOW I've been helping emergency services search for drowned boy.

[Howdeedoodee]

I've been helping the emergency services search for a missing boy in Nottingham with my professional DJI Mavic 4k GPS Drone.
I was gobsmacked when asked by the chief fire officer if i would consider undertaking emergency survey work for them that could be county wide and possibly nationally.
see video here. YouTube

 

[4wd]

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Looking straight down must often allow you to see far more than on the surface, and deployment so much easier and safer - to say nothing of the cost.

 

[jasonbrooks]

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Looking straight down must often allow you to see far more than on the surface, and deployment so much easier and safer - to say nothing of the cost.

That's great that you're helping out the emergency services. Are you filming with a polariser of any sort? Looks like the surface reflections are cutting your visibility of what lies beneath quite significantly. I would definitely recommend using one if you're not already.

Good luck!

jason

 

[Evo1668]

Did they eventually find the missing boy?

 

[totof1965]

That's agood example of how our hobby can be usefull, hope the medias can show that instead of near miss

 

[Howdeedoodee]

yes they we found the boy but sadly for the family he had drowned, I've not got polarising filters which ones do you recommend, I've just been interviewed and filmed by the UK TV station flying the mavic.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Sorry for the family.

Keep up the good work with that drone, and publicize the positives locally, every chance you get!

 

[ryo]

So sad......
But it's really important that people can see how useful can be a drone instead of getting only bad news thank to the idiots out there.

 

[Cyberpower678]

The goggles would be perfect for such operations. The head tracking feature can let you look around while in the air.

 

[Ping^Spike]

How did they find you, in order to ask for your help?

Were you out flying already?

Or are you CAA certified and on their register?

Thanks for sharing mate

 

[mw174620]

That is awesome you got asked to help. Are you friends with the local fire chief or how did this opportunity come about? I would love to offer my assistance to local emergency services for situations like this, especially considering the non-applicability of 107 when operating as a public UAS.

 

[frankiez]

yes they we found the boy but sadly for the family he had drowned, I've not got polarising filters which ones do you recommend, I've just been interviewed and filmed by the UK TV station flying the mavic.

Did u find him with the Mavic? I commend you on a great service you provided but am just curious how you made out.

I recently helped some dog owners search for their little dog but it was a very highly wooded area. I couldn't see much but the owners appreciated my attempt.

 

[frankiez]

Yes, definitely polarizing filters would have helped in your video. I have the PolarPro vivid collection. It comes with a ND4, 8 and 16. I live them. They don't cause me any gimbal initializations errors on startup either. Some off brand ones will cause gimbal errors on startup and you will be forced to only install them after you have fired up the mavic.

 

[geigy]

I wouldn't bother in this application, where you are looking straight down. A Polaroid filter would not have much effect, though it would have some.

 

[RavenShot]

Great post and a great example of a perception changing moment for people with quads.

I too would be interested to know how they got in touch with you to undertake this.

 

[frankiez]

I wouldn't bother in this application, where you are looking straight down. A Polaroid filter would not have much effect, though it would have some.

He is on the water. U can see some reflection from the daylight. I think a polarizing filter would have allowed him more depth into the water.

 

[geigy]

He is on the water. U can see some reflection from the daylight. I think a polarizing filter would have allowed him more depth into the water.

I don't think there will be much benefit in this case, looking straight down, and in fact it may significantly degrade the image.

This is because polarizers work best when the camera and light are both oblique to the reflective surface, with the camera is facing generally toward the light source. The plane of the polarized light will be parallel to the water surface. When looking straight down at the water, the reflected light will have a variety of orientations and polarizations. Some individual water reflections might be reduced, but on balance there would be little or no benefit.

Now, he may do some of his search obliquely to the water, not facing down, in which case there could be substantial benefit.

But I think the big problem with using a polarizer is loss of light - a polarizer loses between 3 and 4 stops, which means a noisier and/or more blurred image. Clarity is important in an application like this.

 

[frankiez]

I don't think there will be much benefit in this case, looking straight down, and in fact it may significantly degrade the image.

This is because polarizers work best when the camera and light are both oblique to the reflective surface, with the camera is facing generally toward the light source. The plane of the polarized light will be parallel to the water surface. When looking straight down at the water, the reflected light will have a variety of orientations and polarizations. Some individual water reflections might be reduced, but on balance there would be little or no benefit.

Now, he may do some of his search obliquely to the water, not facing down, in which case there could be substantial benefit.

But I think the big problem with using a polarizer is loss of light - a polarizer loses between 3 and 4 stops, which means a noisier and/or more blurred image. Clarity is important in an application like this.

Thanks for the insight. I just know the huge difference I see when I wear polarized sunglasses versus non when I fish. I can see so much better down into the water.

 

[dirkclod]

OK guy's I just cleaned this up and if I got your post in clean up
sorry but it had to go to keep the flow looking right . Now lets not get argumentative no more and it you don't have anything productive to say.... Don't

 

[paulwills]

Irrespective of whether he was using filters or not this has to be welcomed insofar as it was the Emergency services that asked for the help. They wouldn't have been looking at the filters or resolution nor would they have been bothered. To those searching for the lad it would have been another set of eyes at a different perspective. Hopefully this story will get the positive coverage instead of the usual negative stuff. Very sad for the family and friends though. Well done. !