AVILUS, a Germany-based startup, has developed Grille, an autonomous rescue drone designed to expedite emergency responses in challenging terrains. Equipped with advanced avionics and autonomous navigation systems, Grille can navigate rugged environments to deliver immediate medical assistance. Its specialized patient box administers initial treatments and stabilizes patients during transport, crucial for increasing survival rates during the critical “golden hour” following traumatic injuries.
The inception of Grille stemmed from a collaboration between Ernst Rittinghaus and Ph.D. students from the Technical University of Munich’s Institute of Flight System Dynamics. Initially conceptualized as a “flying stretcher,” the idea quickly evolved into a comprehensive drone-based evacuation system. These drones are particularly valuable in remote or hard-to-reach areas where traditional rescue operations are hindered by a lack of infrastructure or challenging terrain.
Utilizing Model-Based Design with MATLAB and Simulink, AVILUS significantly reduced development time and costs. Model-in-the-loop simulations allowed for comprehensive testing of all systems and components, minimizing the need for extensive hardware verification. This approach enabled the team to assess the effects of system changes automatically, ensuring reliability and efficiency in the drone’s performance.
For hardware-in-the-loop testing, the team employed Embedded Coder to convert high-level algorithms into low-level C code suitable for the drone’s embedded processors. Real-time systems generated synthetic sensor data to simulate actual flight conditions, facilitating thorough testing of hardware components. Subsequent tethered flights provided a safe environment to observe the drone’s behavior under near-real conditions, paving the way for successful full-flight tests.
For more details, visit the full article: [Virtual Design and Testing of an Autonomous Rescue Drone Speeds Up Product Development]