[SatNews] Australia is relying on help from a UAV to check for hot spots. UAVs equipped with remotely controlled aerial cameras from Cyber Technology of Washington will be working for Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire Brigade to deploy an Australian-developed “eye in the sky” remotely-controlled aerial camera from Washington-based developer Cyber Technology. The vehicles have previously been used for inspecting an oil rig fire in the Timor Sea in 2009.

CyberQuad, a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Cyber Technology. The CyberQuad is an electric, remote-controlled reconnaissance platform that features four ducted rotors to provide lift and maneuverability, allowing the remote-control UAV to be used in urban and enclosed environments. The four rotors give the CyberQuad the payload capacity and stability of a helicopter-type UAV, while the ducted design avoids the dangers associated with exposed propellers.

Two four-fan CyberQuad UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) will be used to hover above fires to identify hotspots and send realtime vision to a control center. One will be fitted with a high-definition camera, while the other will carry a standard definition camera and a thermal imaging camera. Pilots in the MFB are now being trained, with deployment expected over the next few months.

Even though the flight capability is only between 25 and 35 minutes, they can be deployed quickly and the 500-800g payload (depending on version) is sufficient for cameras and transmitters.