THESIS

    The era of autonomous surveillance is here.

    In 2023, 56,580 wildfires destroyed 2.7 million acres of land in the United States, causing extensive economic and environmental damage. RangerEye is a fully autonomous drone designed for continuous, hands‑off wildfire surveillance in remote environments. Its primary objective is to detect wildfires at the earliest possible stage and fully automate aerial patrols, covering flight, detection, docking, and recharging without human intervention in harsh, inaccessible landscapes. This capability accelerates response times and reduces risk to firefighting personnel.

    The drone combines vertical takeoff and landing with an efficient fixed‑wing cruise using a quad‑rotor lift system and a rear pusher propeller. A high‑resolution thermal camera enables real‑time hotspot detection, while onboard autonomy powered by ArduPilot and custom DroneKit Python scripts dynamically adjust flight paths in response to emerging threats.

    Upon mission completion, RangerEye autonomously returns to its weatherproof, solar‑powered ground station, docks via an elevator mechanism, recharges via conductive plates, and shares telemetry and alert data over a secure satellite link. Global connectivity enables operators to monitor system status and update mission parameters from any location.

    RangerEye equips emergency responders with critical real‑time intelligence to contain wildfires before they spread by autonomously patrolling vast landscapes and delivering hotspot alerts.