Building on the Interreg V IT-AT project START, the use of semi-autonomous drones in rescue operations in extreme environments is being developed to provide more effective assistance to people in distress in the mountains. Using a user-centered approach, the new interdisciplinary project team will research and further develop cross-border unmanned aerial rescue. In accordance with the START cooperation agreement, mountain rescue services assessed needs during the preparation phase. The focus is, on the one hand, on automation in flight planning and risk assessment as well as the innovative application of sensor systems; on the other hand, the transport of materials and people by drone on the “last mile” in difficult, impassable terrain will be tested.

The competencies will be used sustainably over the course of the project by designing a living lab for drones that facilitates advanced forms of flexible collaboration for stakeholders from neighboring regions: users, SMEs, and researchers will cooperate so that new technologies are developed and deployed more quickly in line with user requirements. What is new is that we are implementing this user-oriented approach in a cross-regional real-world laboratory.