Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have found widespread use across numerous industries including surveillance, mapping border patrol, and agricultural imaging. Recent developments in microelectronics, flight control systems, and low cost imaging systems could enable practical wilderness search and rescue (SAR) with UAVs. Fixed wing UAVs, those where a rigid wing forms an airfoil, show exceptional promise as a tool to improve SAR outcomes.
We first present a review of the major performance trade-offs between rotary wing and fixed wing UAVs. We then show experimental characterization of the flight, navigational, and imaging performance characteristics of fixed wing UAVs during wilderness SAR operations. Additionally, we present a mathematical framework and associated software tools to help design fixed wing UAVs for SAR. Finally, we close with recommendations for further development of fixed wing UAVs for wilderness