Citymesh Unveils Revolutionary Safety Drone Shield at PIVO in Asse
Asse, September 5, 2024 – Citymesh proudly presents one of its new locations for the innovative Safety Drone Shield, an advanced system that uses drone technology and 5G connectivity to support emergency services in Belgium. The official presentation and demonstration took place at the Provincial Institute for Training and Education (PIVO) in Asse.
The Safety Drone Shield assists firefighters, police, and security services by deploying a drone within 90 seconds of a call. This drone streams live footage to emergency services, allowing them to make more efficient and better-informed decisions. The drone has a 5-kilometer range, operates on a 5G network, and is equipped with both thermal and regular cameras. The temperature and battery of the Drone-in-a-Box are automatically regulated for optimal performance.
Currently, 16 Drones-in-a-Box are operational, managed by a team of about 10 pilots from 3 Remote Operations Centers (ROCs) located in Hasselt, Oostkamp, and Marche-en-Famenne. These ROCs provide robust coverage and can take over each other’s tasks if necessary. Currently, the drones operate from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with plans to expand to 24/7 operations.
At PIVO, the Safety Drone Shield is also used for training purposes for firefighters and police, with exercises being recorded for later review and evaluation.
In collaboration with Cegeka, Citymesh developed the SENSE app, allowing the police to manually summon drones to assist in interventions. For firefighters, the process is fully automated, contributing to faster and more efficient deployment.
With a total investment of 10 million euros, including 3.6 million in subsidies, this project marks a significant step toward the future of emergency services in Belgium.
For more information on the full project, visit 5gsense.citymesh.com.
