As a world first, police stations and fire stations throughout Belgium will have Drones-in-a-Box (DiaB) available.

After pilot projects since 2018 in Kortrijk (Fluvia), Brussels Airport Company (BAC) and Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Citymesh completed the first full integration in Genk in summer 2022. The project will be called Citymesh Sense. Over time, it wants to scale to 70 drones.

The aim is to create a drone network throughout Belgium as a tool for the rescue services. Something that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world, says Citymesh. According to Hans Similon, General Manager at Citymesh Safety Drones, two Drones-in-a-Box (DiaB) will be available in each of the 35 emergency zones

Pilots are available 24/7 from various Remote Operations Centers to conduct the flights and intervene so emergency services get the right images at the right time. The safety of the flights is guaranteed by an Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) platform in which all flights are logged and coordinated.

5G network and AI

Citymesh Managing Director Mitch De Geest, who has been a firefighter himself for over 20 years, knows how our rescue services work and where their resources often fall short. “With Sense we are at the interface of three fields of knowledge (5G, drones and rescue services).”

“Therefore, it is only a logical step for Citymesh to start the world’s first drone grid to support the emergency services right after the pilot project. This is how my greatest passions come together beautifully.”

To this day, rescue workers often do not know what to expect when they turn out. In this initial chaos, they lose valuable time. Once emergency services receive a call, a drone can automatically take off and fly to the scene of the disaster to capture accurate images.

These images are sent to the emergency call center and rescue services via Citymesh’s 5G network. They are also enriched with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). For example, the drones can automatically detect smoke, but also fire and people, for example.