Researchers from the Fraunhofer FKIE institute, Germany, have developed a drone that is capable of hearing and locating human screams. While it might sound like something straight out of a sci-fi flick, it’s actually something that is meant to make it easier for first responders to find survivors after a natural calamity. This tech could be a game-changer if it makes its way to the mainstream market.

“(Drones) can cover a larger area in a shorter period of time than rescuers or trained dogs on the ground,” Macarena Varela, an engineer on the project, told The Washington Post. “If there’s a collapsed building, it can alert and assist rescuers. It can go places they can’t fly to or get to themselves.”

Training AI algorithm did the trick

To build this drone, the team first recorded their screams and other sounds that someone in distress might make. Later, they used those recordings to train an AI algorithm and optimize the software to filter out unwanted noise like the hum of the drone’s wings.

Apart from the software and UAV part, the rest of the system is pretty basic. The researchers used similar microphones that you might find on your smartphone, mainly to keep the weight and agility of the drone in check.

More advancements incoming 

Varela also said that the Fraunhofer FKIE team carried out several field tests and most of them were successful. The drone managed to determine someone’s location “within a few seconds” of picking the sounds of their screaming.

Now, the team is planning to add a higher frequency microphone to a prototype to make it better at detecting sounds at far away distances. This isn’t the first time something like this has been done.

Last year, a team of researchers from the Purdue University designed a system that lets a UAV navigate using four mics and a speaker. We might see more such innovations in the coming days. The Fraunhofer FKIE team told The Post that they were contacted by many firms to partner with them for the project.