Swift Current area man builds


unmanned helicopters for RCMP (cont.) continued from page 11


The camera platform on an UAV will support a weight of up to 200 pounds. The use of the latest technology digital SLR cameras will provide an operator with high quality photographs or video material of a situation, which in the case of the RCMP is used to reconstruct vehicle accident scenes.


"They'll fly over top and that allows them to take a top down view and piece together what happened," he said.


UAVs can be handy in other police work, such as search and rescue operations or to assist emergency response teams with surveillance. The use of a thermal imaging camera on a UAV can make it easier to detect a person during a search and rescue mission.


"It's helping them because they can see everything from a whole different view that was not available before," he said. "Without resources, you just can't get a helicopter in to have a quick look at something without huge expense. So it's a huge benefit for them."


Allan is a volunteer firefighter with the R.M. of Swift Current. The usefulness of his UAV came to the attention of police when he participated in a search and rescue effort a few years ago.


"They asked if we could just come and help to cover the terrain," he recalled. "I told them I've got a helicopter with a camera and it would be way better because it's rocky in there and they said 'Bring it, let's try it out.'"


When the Swift Current Creek flooded in 2011, he used one of his helicopters to drop a rope for two children who got into trouble. He then released the other end of the rope on the opposite shore, where people were able to pull the youngsters to safety.


"I just happened to be at the right place at the right time," he said. "So a couple stories like that and (the police) got wind of it. Then the superintendents came out from Regina to have a look and said they want to get this."


So far, the RCMP has been the main user of his UAVs and he is happy with the way his business, called Chaos Choppers, has been developing.


"I'm practically building them as fast as I can and they just keep buying them, so it's growing on its own," he said.


A few other companies build similar unmanned systems, but they are more expensive. The starting price for one of his units is about $10,000. He also benefits from being able to provide a custom designed unit to a client.


"As far as I know, there's nobody that does it exactly how I do it," he said. "I custom make stuff at the shop. So if there's a demand for a unit they just give the specs and tell me what they want and I can just build it for them."


UAVs have many other applications beyond police work, which Allan is hoping to benefit from. For independent film makers


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it can be an affordable way to shoot good quality aerial video and farmers or environmental companies can use it for aerial inspections. It can be used by oilfield service companies for activities such as flare stack inspections or aerial surveys of oil spill contamination and land reclamation.


"There's lot of interest, but there's not a whole lot of commitment," he said. "It's kind of a new thing, so people are a little hesitant sometimes on going through with it."


He enjoys the challenge of making continuous improvements to his designs and trying out something new while also staying abreast of the latest technology.


"You just get one thing done and by the time you get it done there's something new out there to try," he said with a laugh.


For more detail about the UAV's designed by Chaos Choppers, visit the website www.chaoschoppers.com.


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