The pilot tosses the cylindrical Sentry drone into the air and then takes control. Video from the drone’s HD camera is fed live to screens for a second person to watch. The drone can optionally carry an infrared camera, which is good for finding warm bodies hidden amidst cold nature. The drone folds up into a compact cylinder, thought not in a way as aesthetically pleasing as some other foldaway quadcopter designs. It weighs just barely more than two pounds. With a flight time of 15 minutes, it’s useful for scanning an area, but not the kind of drone that can conduct day-long searches on its own. Built by Weissenberg’s Riderless Technologies, the Sentry with infrared camera is priced at about $5,000 Canadian. Buyers can also pay in Bitcoin. There are other drones in a similar price range that offer infrared capability, though they tend to be less rugged or compact. Recently, Riderless Technologies teamed with Kaslo Search and Rescue to test the drone in a search for a dummy. The video is delightfully Canadian, from accents to diligently following safety best practices at the end. Watch below:
