Drone-Based Disaster Management: A Systematic Review of Applications, Challenges, and Future Direction

Kalpana Karpate , Dr. Bhupesh Lonkar , Shruti Umale , Shuchi Mishra , Tanishka Maske

Drone, Micro-Drone, UAV, Human Detection, Survivor Detection

Disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and building collapses significantly complicate the quick identification of survivors. This study addresses that issue with a small, affordable micro-drone designed to help rescue teams locate people and share their exact positions immediately. It combines a thermal camera that detects heat from bodies, an RGB camera for visual inspection, and a GPS unit for precise location data. Then, a deep learning model examines all that sensor input to determine if victims are alive or dead, and it keeps an updated tally of survivors. The info gets sent straight to the rescue workers so that they can make faster, better choices in those urgent situations. What sets this apart from older methods that rely solely on one type of sensor is how the multi-sensor setup performs better in dim light, blocked areas, or damaged structures, where conventional searches often fall short. Early tests indicate that it reduces search times, requires fewer personnel on the ground, and enhances the reliability of its detection. Ultimately, this micro-drone is a solid and helpful option for first responders in emergency rescues. This study shows that thermal-centric hybrid sensing, achieving up to 95% detection accuracy and strong validation (6/7), is the most reliable method for micro-drone–based victim detection.

Published Paper   E-Certificate

"Drone-Based Disaster Management: A Systematic Review of Applications, Challenges, and Future Direction", IJSDR - International Journal of Scientific Development and Research (www.IJSDR.org), ISSN:2455-2631, Vol.11, Issue 3, page no.a28-a36, March-2026, Available :https://ijsdr.org/papers/IJSDR2603005.pdf

Volume 11 Issue 3, March-2026

Pages : a28-a36

Paper Reg. ID: IJSDR_307543

Published Paper Id: IJSDR2603005

Downloads: 000128

Research Area: Science and Technology

Country: Nagpur, Maharashtra, India

Published Paper PDF: https://ijsdr.org/papers/IJSDR2603005

Published Paper URL: https://ijsdr.org/viewpaperforall?paper=IJSDR2603005

ISSN: 2455-2631 | IMPACT FACTOR: 9.15 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2016

An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 9.15 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator

Publisher: IJSDR(IJ Publication) Janvi Wave

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License and The Open Definition