Every second counts for emergency services and rescue personnel in the event of a forest fire, traffic accident or natural disaster. Yet at the start of an operation, precise information about the situation on the ground is often scarce – especially in complex terrain or areas that are difficult to access. For this reason, Vodafone, Frequentis and the Rostock fire brigade – led by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) – have joined forces in the ADELE project to improve conditions for emergency responders. For the first time, they are now testing the deployment of automated drones immediately following an emergency call. Even before rescuers arrive, the drones can transmit high-resolution live images from the incident site directly to the emergency control centre. Timely images allow emergency responders to gain an early impression of the situation and provide targeted assistance more effectively – saving valuable time when it matters most. On 23 September 2025, a complex exercise scenario took place near Rostock, Germany, to test such drone support."With the ADELE project, we are bringing modern drone technology directly into rescue operations," says DLR Executive Board Chair Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla. "This will enable emergency services to reduce their response time to just a few minutes on average. Every second gained is valuable – to save lives in emergency situations, protect infrastructure, safeguard assets and the preserve the environment. We are delighted to contribute DLR's extensive expertise in the field of uncrewed aerial systems to this endeavour. Our solution-driven and goal-oriented research forms the basis for successful cooperation with public stakeholders and other users."Andreas Volkert, ADELE project manager and uncrewed aerial vehicle expert at the DLR Institute of Flight Guidance, adds: "Alongside coordinating the project, we are also responsible for the system architecture, providing the drone itself and contributing the tools for planning and executing flight routes. Our rescue drone combines high-resolution camera sensors with optimised, low-risk flight control components based on real-time motion data. We ensure compliance with all legal regulations and full GDPR conformity to safeguard safety and data protection."Chris von Wrycz Rekowski, Senator for Finance, Digitalisation and Order for the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock, says: "With ADELE, we are bringing greater speed and clarity to the daily work of the police, fire brigade and other rescue services. The live images provide emergency responders with valuable information that not only offers a better overview but also saves valuable time. This allows for faster and better decision-making, and an even faster response."<h2>5G drone – aerial support for emergency services</h2>ADELE stands for 'Automated Drone Deployment from the Control Centre' (Automatisierter Drohneneinsatz aus der Leitstelle). As part of the project, Vodafone is providing 5G technology for real-time data transmission along with a new end-to-end encryption technology for maximum security. Frequentis is providing the connection to the control centre, and the Rostock fire brigade is testing the application in real-life operations. The result: automatic planning of drone flights as soon as an emergency call is received. DLR's drone launches automatically towards the incident location and streams high-resolution video footage to the emergency services control centre in real time – before the first emergency vehicle has left the station. Via the 5G network, emergency personnel receive key information at a very early stage, including information about how a fire is developing, access routes, potentially hazardous material storage locations and the distribution of people in the affected area.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1759326169611-image-2000-528a1f975dd052f6d85635a408a3c4c3.jpeg" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />Control centre staff monitor the drone mission on screen. The aerial images are transmitted directly to the fire brigade and police systems via the 5G network. Credit: © DLR. All rights reserved<h2>Digital support for emergency management, safe drone flights and faster approvals</h2>To ensure the seamless integration of drone flights, communications and control centre coordination, Frequentis and DLR are connecting drone control directly with the ASGARD and LifeX control centre systems – established communication systems used by the fire brigade and police respectively. The Automated Drone Dispatch System (ADD) is connected via a special interface. When an emergency call is received, the control centre software transmits the incident location, determined from emergency call data, to the ADD in the form of geocoordinates. The ADD then evaluates the geodata and suggests a possible drone deployment.The operational planning team then decides whether a drone mission is appropriate. If it approves the deployment, the system automatically plans the optimal flight route and sends the rescue drone directly to the destination. At times, a drone may need to fly beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the control centre, and such flights are subject to particularly strict regulations. To streamline the approval process, Vodafone has developed the DroNet Hub – a platform that gathers anonymous live data from mobile phones within a mobile radio cell, providing a realistic assessment of the actual ground risk. Until now, population data required for approvals has been gathered from statistical data, some of which may no longer be current. For the test project, demonstration flights remained within visual line of sight.

A drone takes off on an automated flight as part of the ADELE project. It delivers high-resolution live images from the scene of an emergency even before the emergency services arrive. Credit: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

In the future, drones will take off automatically and head to an emergency scene immediately after the emergency call, transmitting initial aerial images to the emergency services control centre – even before the relevant personnel arrive.

5G drone delivers live emergency scene images before rescuers arrive

When major disasters hit and structures collapse, people can become trapped under rubble. Extricating victims from these hazardous environments can be dangerous and physically exhausting. To help rescue teams navigate these structures, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Notre Dame, developed the Soft Pathfinding Robotic Observation Unit (SPROUT). SPROUT is a vine robot — a soft robot that can grow and maneuver around obstacles and through small spaces. First responders can deploy SPROUT under collapsed structures to explore, map, and find optimum ingress routes through debris. <img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1744038843531-Council_vine+robots.png" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" />Chad Council navigates the robot through rubble at the Massachusetts Task Force 1 site in Beverly, Massachusetts. Photo courtesy of the researchers."The urban search-and-rescue environment can be brutal and unforgiving, where even the most hardened technology struggles to operate. The fundamental way a vine robot works mitigates a lot of the challenges that other platforms face," says Chad Council, a member of the SPROUT team, which is led by Nathaniel Hanson. The program is conducted out of the laboratory's <a href="https://www.ll.mit.edu/r-d/biotechnology-and-human-systems/humanitarian-assistance-and-disaster-relief-systems" target="_blank">Human Resilience Technology Group</a>. First responders regularly integrate technology, such as cameras and sensors, into their workflows to understand complex operating environments. However, many of these technologies have limitations. For example, cameras specially built for search-and-rescue operations can only probe on a straight path inside of a collapsed structure. If a team wants to search further into a pile, they need to cut an access hole to get to the next area of the space. Robots are good for exploring on top of rubble piles, but are ill-suited for searching in tight, unstable structures and costly to repair if damaged. The challenge that SPROUT addresses is how to get under collapsed structures using a low-cost, easy-to-operate robot that can carry cameras and sensors and traverse winding paths. <iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DaMCTH4qZTE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" class="fr-draggable"> </iframe>How a Flexible Robot Helps Find Survivors Inside Collapsed Buildings Video: MIT Lincoln LaboratorySPROUT is composed of an inflatable tube made of airtight fabric that unfurls from a fixed base. The tube inflates with air, and a motor controls its deployment. As the tube extends into rubble, it can flex around corners and squeeze through narrow passages. A camera and other sensors mounted to the tip of the tube image and map the environment the robot is navigating. An operator steers SPROUT with joysticks, watching a screen that displays the robot's camera feed. Currently, SPROUT can deploy up to 10 feet, and the team is working on expanding it to 25 feet.When building SPROUT, the team overcame a number of challenges related to the robot's flexibility. Because the robot is made of a deformable material that bends at many points, determining and controlling the robot's shape as it unfurls through the environment is difficult — think of trying to control an expanding wiggly sprinkler toy. Pinpointing how to apply air pressure within the robot so that steering is as simple as pointing the joystick forward to make the robot move forward was essential for system adoption by emergency responders. In addition, the team had to design the tube to minimize friction while the robot grows and engineer the controls for steering.While a teleoperated system is a good starting point for assessing the hazards of void spaces, the team is also finding new ways to apply robot technologies to the domain, such as using data captured by the robot to build maps of the subsurface voids. "Collapse events are rare but devastating events. In robotics, we would typically want ground truth measurements to validate our approaches, but those simply don't exist for collapsed structures," Hanson says. To solve this problem, Hanson and his team made a simulator that allows them to create realistic depictions of collapsed structures and develop algorithms that map void spaces.SPROUT was developed in collaboration with Margaret Coad, a professor at the University of Notre Dame and an MIT graduate. When looking for collaborators, Hanson — a graduate of Notre Dame — was already aware of Coad's work on vine robots for industrial inspection. Coad's expertise, together with the laboratory's experience in engineering, strong partnership with urban search-and-rescue teams, and ability to develop fundamental technologies and prepare them for  <a href="https://www.ll.mit.edu/partner-us/about-tvo" target="_blank">transition to industry</a>, "made this a really natural pairing to join forces and work on research for a traditionally underserved community," Hanson says. "As one of the primary inventors of vine robots, Professor Coad brings invaluable expertise on the fabrication and modeling of these robots."Lincoln Laboratory tested SPROUT with first responders at the  <a href="http://matf.org/" target="_blank">Massachusetts Task Force 1</a>  training site in Beverly, Massachusetts. The tests allowed the researchers to improve the durability and portability of the robot and learn how to grow and steer the robot more efficiently. The team is planning a larger field study this spring."Urban search-and-rescue teams and first responders serve critical roles in their communities but typically have little-to-no research and development budgets," Hanson says. "This program has enabled us to push the technology readiness level of vine robots to a point where responders can engage with a hands-on demonstration of the system."Sensing in constrained spaces is not a problem unique to disaster response communities, Hanson adds. The team envisions the technology being used in the maintenance of military systems or critical infrastructure with difficult-to-access locations.The initial program focused on mapping void spaces, but future work aims to localize hazards and assess the viability and safety of operations through rubble. "The mechanical performance of the robots has an immediate effect, but the real goal is to rethink the way sensors are used to enhance situational awareness for rescue teams," says Hanson. "Ultimately, we want SPROUT to provide a complete operating picture to teams before anyone enters a rubble pile."

Left to right: Summer research intern Ankush Dhawan and Lincoln Laboratory staff members Chad Council and Nathaniel Hanson test a vine robot in a laboratory setting. Photo: Glen Cooper

SPROUT, developed by Lincoln Laboratory and University of Notre Dame researchers, is a vine robot capable of navigating under collapsed structures.

A flexible robot can help emergency responders search through rubble

In this episode, we explore how a snake-inspired robot developed by students from ETH Zurich aims to better leverage the power of robotics in search and rescue missions!

Podcast: Meet The Life-saving Snake Robot

This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/80b4789f-8190-4b29-9b24-9b815f9f4aee?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-gtm-yt-inspected-30="true" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr> <iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lICMLQFoT8s?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-30="true" id="379447036" title="The Snake that Saves Lives">&nbsp;</iframe>(Video: Nicole Davidson / ETH Zurich)RoBoa was created in the Autonomous Systems Lab at ETH Zurich. It moves flexibly and efficiently through narrow spaces such as pipes or sewers and combs through debris in the wake of catastrophes. Its soft and pneumatic design make the snake-like robot safe for use by people and in dangerous environments where there is a danger of explosion and sparks must be avoided. RoBoa can currently extend up to a length of 100 metres. It is equipped with a speaker and microphone to allow direct communication with victims in the case of emergency. RoBoa was originally developed as part of a student focus project. Thanks to a Pioneer Fellowship, it is now close to market launch and could have a major impact on inspection and search and rescue operations.

An ETH Zurich team of engineers has developed RoBoa – a snake-like robot with the ability to grow in length and slither into the most inaccessible places.

The snake that saves lives

In this episode, we talk about how DeepMind’s AlphaFold algorithm solved protein folding, NASA JPL’s partnership with the Department of Homeland Security to better protect firefighters, and a trial for autonomous shuttles in Denmark University of Technology that can change the transportation infrastructure of the whole country if successful. As always, you can find these and other interesting &amp; impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com. &nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/b35e3ff1-be47-468b-a513-cf5e8eed3249?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe><h3>EPISODE NOTES</h3>(0:45) -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/deepmind-alphafold2-the-future-of-biology" target="_blank">AlphaFold Solves Protein Folding</a>Researchers have struggled with the problem of protein folding for nearly 50 years but DeepMind - an Alphabet Inc. subsidiary - demonstrated the ability to detect protein folds using their AlphaFold AI algorithm at the biennial CASP competition in 2020.&nbsp;(6:30) - NASA JPL Tracks Firefighters For SafetyNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has partnered with the Department of Homeland Security to develop a system capable of accurately monitoring the location of firefighters inside a building. &nbsp;(10:40) &nbsp;- Autonomous Shuttles Debut In DTUNobina is the largest transport group in the nordic region and they recently got approval to begin their autonomous shuttle trial at Technical University of Denmark (DTU). This trial will provide some much needed information on viability, areas to improve, and some data on how the future of urban planning will be orchestrated to consider autonomous vehicles.--About the podcast:Every day, some of the most innovative universities, companies, and individual technology developers share their knowledge on Wevolver. To ensure we can also provide this knowledge for the growing group of podcast listeners, we started a collaboration with two young engineers, Daniel Scott Mitchell &amp; Farbod Moghaddam who discuss the most interesting content in this podcast series.&nbsp;To learn more about this show, please visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" target="_blank">shows page</a>. By following the page, you will get automatic updates by email when a new show is published.Be sure to give us a follow and review on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/the-next-byte/id1548255861?l=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple</a> podcasts, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6lPPsRtegnivsRUEsQ09R7?si=IPMiah7xT_apJtPjqvXMlA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, and most of your favorite podcast platforms!

In this episode, we talk about how DeepMind’s AlphaFold algorithm solved protein folding, NASA JPL’s partnership with the Department of Homeland Security to better protect firefighters, and a trial for autonomous shuttles in DTU that can change the transportation infrastructure of the whole country

Podcast: AlphaFold Solves Protein Folding, NASA Protects Firefighters, Autonomous Shuttles Debut In Denmark

EPFL scientists are developing a three-legged robot for search and rescue missions that can crawl, roll, jump, and – like a Swiss Army knife – fold away into compact form, all on less power than your standard LED light.

Meet Tribot, the three-legged origami robot designed and built by EPFL scientists. Tri- for three legs and -bot for robot, this super-light critter fits in the palm of your hand, is cheap to build, runs on less than one watt of power, and may one day be deployed in mass for search and rescue mission

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5G drone delivers live emergency scene images before rescuers arrive

A flexible robot can help emergency responders search through rubble

Podcast: Meet The Life-saving Snake Robot

The snake that saves lives

Podcast: AlphaFold Solves Protein Folding, NASA Protects Firefighters, Autonomous Shuttles Debut In Denmark

Meet Tribot, the Swiss Army knife of robots for rescue missions