RescueEye: An IoT-based Multi-Functional Drone for Firefighting, Agricultural and Research Purposes

The rapid development of IoT-enabled drones has paved the way for highly adaptable solutions across diverse fields such as firefighting, agriculture, and environmental research. This paper introduces RescueEye, a hexacopter drone designed with advanced IoT capabilities to tackle various critical tasks. The system integrates a Raspberry Pi 4B for real-time video streaming, an Arduino Mega for flight control, and a suite of sensors, including gas, temperature, and ultrasonic, to enable semi-autonomous and precise operations in demanding environments. The firefighting module of RescueEye includes features like carbon ball deployment for fire suppression, mechanical hands for rescue operations, and water hose maneuvering. These tools are combined with real-time harmful gas detection to enhance firefighter safety and efficiency. RescueEye is equipped with an advanced pesticide spraying system capable of operating precisely, minimizing human exposure, and enhancing productivity. In addition, the drone’s capacity to gather sensor data for land assessment and environmental monitoring makes it an ideal tool for research and survey tasks. The architecture of RescueEye integrates a six-channel Flysky radio controller, a live video transmission system via the Raspberry Pi camera module and a risk-scoring algorithm that processes sensor data for real-time risk assessments. This paper elaborates on the mechanical, electrical, and software design of RescueEye, illustrating its potential to improve safety, precision, and operational efficiency in various use cases. The system’s capacity for real-time decision-making, enabled by IoT-driven data collection and analytics, makes it a versatile tool for modernizing traditional approaches in firefighting, agriculture, and environmental research.