Flyr | Devpost

From massive Earthquakes to terrible Nuclear Leaks, disasters of all kinds regrettably rock our world. Disasters are not instantaneous, and instead, leave behind a trail of destruction. In these situations, First Responders play an important role. These brave men and women have the job of rescuing those in need, weather they be in a collapsed building or a nuclear wasteland, at great risk to themselves. With the rise of technology, however, these risks have been drastically reduced. A recent example can be seen with the use of robots in the cleanup after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. For our project, Flyr, we came up with an innovative way to further help First Responders with the implementation of some modern technology. Our first decision was to use the Parrot AR. Drone. We made this decision for three important reasons. First of all, the Parrot Drone is a very agile device. This is important because in a disaster scenario, the Drone would have to avoid many unexpected obstacles. Second, the Parrot Drone, in our opinion, is a more versatile vehicle in comparison to other robots. It's ability to fly provides more paths for the Drone to enter and explore, without the worry of ground obstacles. Finally, we found the Drone's camera to be of high quality, an important quality for First Responders in need of accurate information. Our second major decision was the implementation of the Oculus Rift. In our design, the Oculus plays the role of both display and controller. We chose the Oculus obviously due its ability to display a "virtual reality (VR)." As mentioned before, the importance of accurate information is immeasurable to First Responders, and the use of VR acts as yet another useful tool. We also decided to use the Oculus Rift as a controller. By using simple movements of the head, we aimed to make the operation of the Drone simpler and more intuitive. Our final major decision was the inclusion of the Pebble Smartwatch. We did this, again, to simplify the operation of the drone. By using the Pebble Smartwatch, the process of flying the drone is further simplified. This makes it even easier for First Responders to utilize our Drone. In a dangerous world, First Responders play a very important role in society. With the use of technology, First Responders can complete their tasks more safely and efficiently. We believe our Project, Flyr, can be an important and useful tool.