SPOT Drone
A drone built with infrared technology made for firefighters.
3rd year project // Fall 2021
Project Brief.
We were given the task of creating a product under the UST Company that would solve a problem for first responders.
I decided to design a solution specifically for firefighters.
UST Company.
UST is recognized for designing survival gear and emergency equipment for over 78 years. With a variety of product solutions, such as back-country rescue to home power outages, UST strives at creating solutions for tricky situations.
UST recently purchased a Silicon Valley startup, which will provide UST the ability to pursue more advanced technologies that will be viable in the next 3-5 years.
The goal for UST is to grow scale and expand from individual products to entire solutions.
The focus.
I decided to focus on designing a solution for fire fighters on the scene.
Through my research, I discovered that one of the challenges fire fighters deal with is not fully knowing how severe the situation is, where the fire is stemming from, and if there are victims until after they arrive at the scene.
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On average, it takes firefighters around 5 minutes to arrive at a scene, but this can change depending on multiple factors:
How quickly dispatchers are able to retrieve information from victims
How accurate that information is
Assuring dispatchers send out the correct information to firefighters
Any obstacles on the road (accidents, construction, traffic, etc)
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Miscommunication can occur in various instances throughout the 5-step fire alert process:
Between the victim/s and dispatcher
Between dispatch and fire department
Between fire department and victims at the scene
And even between fire fighters on the scene
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“Research has shown that there is a positive correlation between response times and mortality.”
The faster firefighters can arrive at the scene and understand what they are faced with, the more likely they are to save a life.
What can be designed to help firefighters know how intense the situation is as soon as they arrive at the scene?
Design Direction.
Because the drone is designed for intense situations, I wanted the CMF to reflect a calm and clean design. I also wanted the color choices and general design language to be friendly since victims would possibly be interacting with the drone.
The goal was to make the drone look approachable yet trustworthy to be used during intense fire situations.
Introducing, Spot.
the drone designed for firefighters.
How could it be used?
Scenario 1 - Apartment Complex
A fire breaks out on the highest floor of multistory apartment complex. The fire department is able to use the drone and fly it up to the highest floor to get a bird’s eye view of the situation and determine the best fitting plan of action.
Scenario 2 - Warehouse
A fire breaks out in a large warehouse. The fire department is able to use the drone and fly it above the building to get a bird’s eye view of the situation and determine the best fitting plan of action.
Small but mighty.
USB charging port for easy charging set up
Thermal imaging camera with LED lights to better navigate through thick smoke
Power button placed on underside to better prevent drone from being accidentally turned off
