Draganflyer UAV Sees First Operational Use In Traffic Collision Photography

Draganfly Innovations staff assist in piloting the UAV, while Saskatoon Police Department Members obtain pictures

Thursday – May 28, 2009: At the scene of a terrible traffic collision, the Draganflyer X6 UAV saw it’s first operational use by a municipal police department (the City Of Saskatoon). A two car collision occurred at the north end of Saskatoon earlier that day, resulting in one fatality and several minor injuries. One of the cars was destroyed, and the other only slightly damaged.

On an agreement with the Saskatoon Police Department, Draganfly Innovations staff were called to pilot the UAV, while police officers remotely operated the camera and obtained pictures. The aerial pictures obtained will preserve the accident, road conditions, and other crucial data for further analysis; allowing a complete and thorough investigation.

The Draganflyer X6 has a unique transmitter ability, that allows us to assign different functions to both a “master” and “slave” transmitter. While we flew the UAV, we transferred control of the cameras tilt, zoom, and shutter functions to the Police Department’s transmitter. This allowed us to take care of all flight functions, including pitch, roll, yaw and throttle. Both Transmitters communicate using a 2.4 Ghz wireless link, immune to radio interference and 100% reliable.

The Draganflyer X6 In Flight Above The Accident (click for larger image)

Our Draganflyer X6 is one of the first UAVs to be commercially available in North America, with a cost that puts it in the grasp of smaller organizations and police departments.

Able to be equipped with 5 different cameras, the Draganflyer X6 provides the flexibility needed for many different applications. In this case the 10 MP (mega pixel) camera was used, but if needed, the X6 could have been equipped with several other cameras, including the:

• 1080p HD (High Definition) Video Camera
• Thermal FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red) Camera
• Low Light (0.0001 lux) Dusk/Dawn Black & White Video Camera
• Micro Analog Color Video Camera Video Camera with Remote Controlled Tilt

Being able to use different cameras allows the Draganflyer X6 to be customized for different applications. If you want to know how our UAV platform can benefit your organization or department, visit the product information page.