New multi-mission drone from Total

Oil and gas company Total is developing a new drone with capabilities to assist in search & rescue, environmental protection, and rig safety.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is the brainchild of Fabien Farge, an emergency physician with Total in Angola. Known as HELPER (Human Environment and Life Protection Emergency Response), the drone carries a thermal camera that can be used to locate people at sea, as well as assessing the scale of leaks and spills.

Different equipment can be swapped on to the drone depending on its mission, including a self-inflating buoy that can be dropped during rescue efforts, a tracking device to monitor slicks in real time using Google Earth, and a radio device to communicate with fishing crews and drifting boats near rigs.

“The drone carries all the equipment it needs for a (specific) mission, so the equipment changes depending on the mission, but the camera is useful for all missions,” Farge told The Engineer.