THE US military’s uncrewed aerial vehicles are a critical component of its search-and-destroy missions in warring regions. But could UAVs instead be used to save lives by flying search-and-rescue (SAR) missions in the nation’s large national parks?

Michael Goodrich, Lanny Lin and colleagues at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, took a commercially available propeller-driven plane with a 1.2-metre wingspan, optimised for low-speed flight, and adapted it to both fly and search autonomously. Their idea is to provide SAR teams with a cheap alternative to helicopters, and one that can be used even in the perilous weather conditions that …