P200K Quadcopter to help in rescue operations, ease traffic
Acting Team head Glenn Antigua (left) and Team member Carlo Cabahug show the newly acquired Quadcopter to the media. (CDN PHOTO/ MELISSA CABAHUG)
The Mandaue City government has acquired a new drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to help monitor traffic and road situations in the city and help in rescue operations like in responding to fire incidents.
Glenn Antigua, acting chief of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM), said yesterday that they acquired the P200,000 Quadcopter last week.
The drone can take clear pictures at 300 feet above ground with its 4,000 megapixels ultra HD camera, can fly up to 3,000 feet above the ground at a speed of 9 kilometers per hour, and can lift at least two kilos of weight.
It has two remote controls: one for the pilot and the other for the one in charge of the city’s closed-circuit television (CCTV).
“It helps a lot specially during traffic. We can release the drone, and we can see the problem from the air. It’s then easier to identify access (to ease the traffic),” he said.
He also said that in using the drone in fire incidents, the ground commander can easily see easier access to the fire scene and can see where to effectively send the responding fire trucks in the area.
The drone has also an auto home program which ensures its return once its battery runs out.
Antigua said that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) allowed the city’s drone to fly at maximum height of 300 meters.
He said they got the idea to buy and use a drone from other countries who have been using it already.
“In other countries, these are what they use. They can easily gain access during traffic. They can pinpoint where to send the vehicles to solve the traffic problem in a certain area. With the drone, they can also easily know where to send the traffic team to get to the problem area,” Antigua said in Cebuano.
He, however, said that the drone can’t fly in all weather conditions and can only be used when it doesn’t rain and during clear nights.
Last week, the TEAM first tested the drone and let it fly at 80 meters above the Cebu International Convention Center.
The drone’s video showed the clear situation of the roads in the surrounding area.
Antigua said they plan to purchase another drone if they will find it effective in helping them ease traffic in the city.