Progress 07/01/23 to 02/29/24

Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, the target audience was focused on first responders including fire departments, life guards, and police departments. The LA County Fire Department (LACoFD) and the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) have both agreed to operational testing of our HERMES payloads and drones, in addition to the Pineville Fire Department (PFD) that agreed to support us at the time of proposal submission. The local sheriff locally in Sahuarita is also interested in assisting with operational testing of the drones. The local Freeport McMoRan mine near our facility has also been briefed on our drones, and is greatly interested in one of the drones to integrate into their daily operations. Other fire departments, first responders, and private companies that support emergency response agencies were also contacted and interviewed in this time period to evaluate market opportunity and market potential. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development activities including small independent study and group study to learn how to use Surfer software for mapping took place during this reporting period. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have a long standing relationship with the first responder community due to our flagship product, the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard (EMILY) rescue robot, which is used by many lifeguards, police, and fire departments around the U.S.. Using these existing relationships, we have reached out to some of our contacts to see if they would be interested in operational testing of the Cell Repeater and Flood Mapper drones and potentially purchasing. We have had several departments agree to testing including LACoFD, NYFD, PFD, and potentially the Sheriffs department locally in Sahuarita, AZ. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? During the next reporting period, we will field test the Cell Repeater drone further and verify that it can amplify cellular signals in the nearby area. We also plan on traveling to areas hit by natural disaster and bringing the Flood Mapper and Cell Repeater drones to support first response teams in these real world scenarios. We also plan on developing a third drone payload package for cargo delivery, and would bring this drone to the events as well for demonstration and/or support. We also plan on fostering a relationship with MaxQ, a company that is developing insulated compartments for drone payloads that can be used for temperature-dependent critical supplies needed in natural disaster scenarios such as blood, medications, or insulin. Ultimately we would like two cargo carrier drones, one insulated and one non-insulated, to aid in disaster response efforts. Efforts to develop these will take place in the second half of this program. ?

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In the aftermath of a disaster event such as flooding, fires, tornados, or hurricanes, first responders are critical to rescue and recovery missions. However, response time can be barred by limited or no cell coverage to communicate and coordinate amongst each other. Response times can also be affected by physical barriers, such as flood zones that can range in depth and disable high profile vehicles that attempt to pass through. Response time after a natural disaster in rural and farmland areas is even more affected due to limited access to cell towers to maintain cellular communication, and large flood plains. The HERMES payloads will greatly help first responders in these scenarios by mitigating barriers to reaching people in distress. Two drones have been developed and testing during this reporting period: The Cell Repeater and the Flood Mapper. The Cell Repeater can be easily deployed and cast a cell signal that can be used by people below it when they otherwise would not have cellular service (due to nearby downed cell towers, cellular dead zones, etc). This can enhance lines of communication to help facilitate rescue and recovery efforts, or communication between loved ones. The Flood Mapper is a critical tool in flooding situations where water depth is unknown. The drone can easily be set out on a mission to land in various flood zone locations, such as across a roadway, and determine water depth. This data be turned into a map, which can inform first responders of safe passageways for high profile vehicles to enter, or to not enter for danger of being disabled, stuck, or swept away. The overall goal of the program is to develop and demonstrate an automated disaster response device for rural communities after natural disasters. To do this, requirements of the device needed to be defined and then developed. These device(s) needed to be demonstrated in the field. Lastly, based off these device(s), the commercial market needed to be defined. So far, two devices have been developed and demonstrated in multiple field tests. The requirements that we defined were the first responders needed to remotely: transfer and deliver critical items to survivors, assess water depths in flood zones to clear paths for rescue, and improve communication in rural areas with limited or no cell coverage, all at the lowest cost possible. In this reporting period, two of these needs were addressed: Water depth assessment and cellular coverage for communication. Each of these capabilities were integrated onto small drones that are easily deployed via a field laptop or tablet. For deployment, the user must input a target location(s) for the drone to fly to, and can specify drone speed and altitude. The Flood Mapper drone was demonstrated at a local lake, and collected multiple data points using a depth finding sensor. These data points were used to quickly and efficiently make a 3D contoured map of the lake embankment, or shallow beach section of the lake, using a software called Surfer while in the field. This demonstration simulated a flooding scenario, where responders would send out the flood mapper drone to assess water depth when approaching a body of water with unknown depths. The drone was then retrieved, and data was transferred off it and inputted into a field laptop, where it was then processed in 5 minutes or less. In the surveyed area, depths ranged from 0-2 feet. A quick reference guide was created for first responders to use that shows each step in offloading the data from the drone to the computer, and how to load it into Surfer software to create a map. The Cell Repeater drone was demonstrated once on the bench, and then later tested at a Patagonia Lake, a local AZ lake that is notorious for having limited cellular reception due to its location seated deep in a mountain valley area. At the lake, the drone successfully took off and loitered for approximately 5 minutes. During this time, two cell phones in the immediate vicinity gained reception. This drone will undergo further field testing to determine range and capacity (how many cells can connect). The cell repeater and the depth finder drones have also been shown at multiple events. This includes a USDA Stakeholder event held at the University of Arizona where USDA Secretary Tom Vilsak spoke. We were able to brief Secretary Vilsak on our USDA program and how the drones will help rural communities, and display them for the panel to see. There was approximately 60 people in attendance in addition to the panel. Afterwards, we were approached by two Native Chief Leaders who are interested in pursuing business and/or future research projects using the HERMES drones. Both drones will also be on display at a SOCOM Technical Experimentation Event the week of December 4th-8th where various groups will be briefed on the program and HERMES capabilities. With these two drones, we see the commercial market encompassing the first responder community, national and state parks, and mines. A commercialization report has been finalized at this time, which includes interviews with multiple first responder departments and expressed interest in these types of disaster relief devices. ?

Publications

Progress 07/01/23 to 02/29/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Target Markets The target audience for the HERMES system are the emergency and disaster response market and the emergency medical services and first responders market. These markets encompass a broad array of products and services to mitigate, oversee, and recover from emergency and disaster situations. Emergency and Disaster Response Market The global emergency and disaster response market has had substantial growth in recent years driven by advancements in technology and the increased occurrence of natural disasters due to global climate change. The global emergency and disaster response market is valued at approximately 156.41B in 2023 and expected to grow at a rate of 6.58% reaching 215B in 2028. North America has the highest share of the market with Asia Pacific having the highest rate of growth1 . Total Addressable Market (TAM) The emergency and disaster response Total Addressable Market (TAM) contains the all the organizations and agencies with market potential for products and services related to mitigating, managing, and responding to emergency situations and disasters worldwide. The products and services used by this market include equipment & tools, vehicles, search and rescue teams, specialized tactical teams, training programs, mapping & monitoring, and more. The TAM is made up of: • Emergency Management organizations, at the state, county, city or tribal level1 • First responder and emergency service organizations like fire departments and search and rescue teams • Healthcare institutions including hospitals, clinics, specialty centers (private or publicly owned) • Environmental monitoring groups that survey landscape after disasters • Humanitarian organizations (NGOs) like Doctors Without Borders or the Red Cross • Federal and State government agencies responsible for disaster management like FEMA and the Army Corp of Engineers • US Military branches including the Army, Air Force, Navy, the National Guard and Reserves • Private sector companies that specialize in disaster response services or equipment, specifically UAV manufacturers that could integrate HERMES into their current technology Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) The emergency and disaster response Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) includes the portion of the TAM which HERMES realistically target. This SAM includes: • First responders and emergency services departments like Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (not to include Police departments) • Government agencies responsible for disaster management like Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) • Private sector drone manufacturers that could integrate HERMES into their current technology • US military branches that are activated during disasters like the National Guard Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) The emergency and disaster response Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) includes the portion of the SAM which HERMES can realistically capture after initial launch. The SOM includes: • Fire departments, particularly those with existing UAS programs or those in rural areas in the US • FEMA • County level Emergency Management in rural areas located in the US Emergency Medical Services and First Responders Market The emergency medical services (EMS) and first responders market in the US was valued at 14.54B in 2021 and is expected to grow at a rate of 7.34% (2022-2030)2 . This is a crucial area in the healthcare and public safety space, with a range of emerging technologies and factors that will impact its future growth. The number of fire departments as well as the number of paramedics in the US is on the rise. Furthermore, many fire departments are transitioning from volunteer positions to more full-time, paid positions, which requires the departments to build out a more robust program with both training and equipment2,3 . Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the number of calls to EMS departments by ~23%, many of these calls requiring quick responses due to cardiac events or opioid crises4. Total Addressable Market (TAM) The emergency medical services (EMS) and first responders Total Addressable Market (TAM) contains the all the organizations with market potential for products, services, training and responders related to supporting or deploying paramedics, EMTs, fire fighters, police officers and their roles in providing public safety and protecting property. These markets are geographically located in the US. The TAM is made up of: • Fire departments • Police departments • EMS departments (these are nearly always located within fire departments) • Search and rescue organizations • Private sector companies that respond to emergency calls and coordinate with local governments • Healthcare institutions including hospitals, clinics, specialty centers (private or publicly owned) Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) The emergency medical services (EMS) and first responders Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) includes the portion of the TAM which HERMES realistically target. This SAM includes: • Fire departments • Fire departments with existing UAS programs • EMS departments (these are nearly always located within fire departments Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) The emergency medical services (EMS) and first responders Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) includes the portion of the SAM which HERMES can realistically capture after initial launch. The SOM includes: • Fire departments with existing UAS programs • Rural Fire departments • County level EMS in rural areas 1 Mordor Intelligence. Emergency and Disaster Response Market Size & Share Analysis-Growth Trends & Forecasts (2023-2028). 2 Cash et al. Trends in demographic and employment characteristics of US emergency medical technicians and paramedics, 2011-2019. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2022 3 US Fire Administration. National Fire Department Registry Quick Facts. Accessed 9/14/23. 4 4Cash et al. Trends in demographic and employment characteristics of US emergency medical technicians and paramedics, 2011-2019. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2022 Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In February of 2024, Hydronalix employees traveled to New York to provide unmanned systems training to the New York Fire Department. Following the training, Hydronalix was honored to be invited by the NYFD's robotics division to present and showcase the capabilities of the USDA cell repeater and depth finder drones. A multi-disciplinary team, encompassing robotics experts, operators, and leadership, offered us a thorough evaluation. We were able to explore the drones features together and engage in discussions surrounding the way these drones could be integrated into their operations. They were greatly interested in the repeater drone and want to be able to use some of their own communications modules, in order to have a repeater that can work in the cities, over bodies of water etc. They were impressed by the flight time and are also very interested in supporting the development of a tethered version so that they can extend the range of their communications for longer periods of time without replacing batteries. They were excited to hear about the underwater map making capabilities of the depth finder drone. They expressed an interest in an update in the manner of data point collection. Going from a point cloud to more of a continuous stream, as they operate a lot with moving water and want the added ability to land the drone in moving water and take a sonar measurement between 10 to 80 feet before flying to the next location. Their intrigue was notably sparked by the drones' use of Extended Kalman Filters to smartly prioritize sensor data. They've faced considerable hurdles with GPS-reliant drones, where the urban 'canyon effect' leads to multipathing issues and crashes. Additionally, drones that use cameras and computer vision have faltered in crowded or smoky conditions. Keen on overcoming these challenges, they are ready to collaborate, offering feedback, insights, and access to real-world testing environments, with the aim to refine the Extended Kalman Filter technology with new sensors, enhancing drone navigation in the demanding urban environment. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The cell repeater and depth finder drones have been showcased at multiple events, including a USDA Stakeholder event held at the University of Arizona, where USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke. During this event, Secretary Vilsack was briefed on the USDA program and how the drones will aid rural communities, and the drones were displayed for the panel. Approximately 60 people attended in addition to the panel. Following the presentation, two Native Chief Leaders expressed interest in pursuing business and/or future research projects utilizing the HERMES drones. Both drones were on display at a SOCOM Technical Experimentation Event during the week of December 4th-8th, where various groups were briefed on the program and HERMES capabilities. In April of 2024, the drones were on display at The International Air and Space Fair, FIDEA in Santiago, Chile. At this show, there was participation from 57 countries, 957 delegations, and over 400 companies in the fields of civil and commercial aviation, defense, aircraft maintenance, airport equipment and services, space technology, homeland security, and UAV/RPAS Drones. At this show, there was a great amount on interest in the capabilities of the Hermes modules and the ability to swap payloads. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. Development of requirements for each Hermes payload package attachments The requirements that we defined were the first responders needed to remotely: transfer and deliver critical items to survivors, assess water depths in flood zones to clear paths for rescue, and improve communication in rural areas with limited or no cell coverage, all at the lowest cost possible. Each of these capabilities were integrated onto small drones that are easily deployed via a field laptop or tablet. For deployment, the user must input a target location(s) for the drone to fly to, and can specify drone speed and altitude. Objective 2. Development of the proposed Hermes attachments (compartment, depth finder, cell amplifier) Each of the proposed payload attachments was prototyped and tested for multiple trials. Objective 3. Demonstration of proof of concept by field testing Dove with the different Hermes attachments and payloads Each Hermes payload module was tested in the field to verify functionality, demonstrate operation, and collect data on performance and/or data for their intended purpose, i.e., depth data for the depth finding Hermes payload. Flood Mapper Hermes The Flood Mapper drone was demonstrated at a local lake, where it collected multiple data points using a Humminbird depth-finding sensor. These data points were utilized to rapidly and efficiently generate a 3D contoured map of the lake embankment, or shallow beach section, using Surfer software on-site. This demonstration simulated a flooding scenario in which responders would deploy the Flood Mapper drone to assess water depth when approaching a body of water with unknown depths. Following retrieval of the drone, data were transferred to a field laptop and processed within five minutes. In the surveyed area, depths ranged from 0 to 2feet. Additionally, a quick reference guide was created for first responders, detailing each step for offloading data from the drone to the computer and subsequently loading it into Surfer software to create a map. Cellular Repeater Hermes The Cell Repeater drone was demonstrated on the bench and at Patagonia Lake, a local AZ lake and manmade reservoir that is notorious for having limited cellular reception due to its location seated deep in a mountain valley area. At the lake, the drone successfully took off and loitered for approximately 5 minutes. During this time, two cell phones in the immediate vicinity gained reception, and a text message was successfully sent. Cargo Carrier (Insulated/Non-Insulated) The Cargo Carrier drone was demonstrated using a lightweight, insulated fabric bag with a zippered enclosure. This bag was chosen as the vessel for supplies based on several factors: •Lightweight •Non-threatening, and familiar appearance (common "lunch bag") to victims •Easy extraction of supplies by any uneducated user •Flexibility of material •Can carry a variety of supplies The Cargo Hermes was taken to Christopher Columbus Park in Tucson, Arizona for testing with a loaded payload. In this case, the payload was to simulate an insulated carrier with a bag of fluids (such as saline, blood, rehydration fluids). The mission flight time was approximately 5 minutes. The mission was pre-programmed to take flight to approximately 40 ft and travel to a pre-determined destination, and slowly descend and land. The picture below shows the drone in-flight. The mission was completed successfully, and demonstrated the drone could launch, travel, maintain balance, and land with an odd weight distribution within the cargo vessel attached to the bottom of the drone. Objective 4. Definition of the commercial market. The target markets for the HERMES system are the emergency and disaster response market and the emergency medical services and first responders market. These markets encompass a broad array of products and services to mitigate, oversee, and recover from emergency and disaster situations.

Publications