Military, Modern Day, News

Project ATRACT: Battlefield Triage Drone to be Used

Researchers at Edge Hill University in Lancashire, England, have launched a new AI-powered drone project to improve battlefield triage. It is called Project ATRACT and is an ongoing work.

  • A new AI-powered drone project (ATRACT) is underway to improve battlefield triage.
  • It aims to give first responder teams near real-time casualty information.
  • It has received over £850,000 in funding from the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC).
  • The project is set to conclude by 2026.

Launching Project ATRACT

Project ATRACT stands for A Trustworthy Robotic Autonomous system to support Casualty Triage. Researchers hope to merge new AI systems, sensors, and an ethical framework to create a self-supporting system.

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It’s designed to use a flying drone to assist and speed up emergency medical triage on the battlefield. The goal is to make life-and-death decisions on the battlefield easier for the first responders.

ATRACT
Project ATRACT stands for A Trustworthy Robotic Autonomous system to support Casualty Triage (Image courtesy of Edge Hill University)

According to Ardhendu Behera, professor of Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence (AI), “ATRACT will be a reliable drone-driven autonomous system that can help frontline medics in decision-making in the ‘platinum ten minutes’ following trauma.”

Most battlefield casualties happen within the first ten minutes of trauma. Patients should ideally receive on-site stabilization care within ten minutes. After the first responders arrive, they can evacuate the wounded to the relevant trauma centre.

Furthermore, researchers developed the project ATRACT in response to newly evolved forms of modern warfare. It includes using cheap shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, making traditional evacuation by helicopter impossible.

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“As seen in Ukraine, the use of low-cost, accurate, shoulder-launched ground-to-air missiles has significantly disrupted helicopter operations, presenting a heightened risk to casualty evacuation operations,” said Dr. Behera.

Why Was Project ATRACT Launched?

Project ATRACT aims to give first responder teams near real-time casualty information. It will allow more effective resource management and prioritization in critical situations.

Currently, medics have to monitor many casualties, prioritizing them based on the severity of their injuries. Researchers at Edge Hill hope their project will help reduce the time frontline medics need to spend on ground operations. Equally important, it will protect medical teams from harm and enhance the safety of such rescue operations.

Wounded
In order to TRIAGE a wonded soldier you have to first get to them! The drone eliminates this danger.

Moreover, one of the project’s main goals is to develop advanced sensors that allow ATRACT drones to use visual and thermal imaging data. It will help them identify injured soldiers precisely. The drones will need to be able to collect this data while also navigating difficult terrain.

The project’s other goals include using advanced multimodal AI sensing and modern algorithms. It will help them provide real-time analysis of soldiers’ injury progression. Moreover, it will also analyse the vital signs of the wounded to manage resources and triage. All these goals intend to improve ATRACT’s reliability in high-pressure warzone environments.

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“While there is much talk of using AI and autonomous platforms as weapons, this project does the opposite, helping to save lives, protect soldiers and make war less deadly,” commented Dr. Behera.

The Funding For The System

Edge Hill University is leading the project, aiming to conclude it in 2026. The supporting institutes include Loughborough University, the University of Brighton, and the University of Portsmouth. The project has received over £850,000 in funding from the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC). It is part of UK Research and Innovation.

Furthermore, Professor Behera states that they will take a “transformative approach to bring the UK to the forefront of research on trustworthy AI and RAS technologies for national security and defence.”

Triage
Triage and battlefield casualty extractions aren’t new. A USAF Sikorsky R-5 Helicopter with wounded.

Moreover, Dr. Khizer Saeed from the University of Brighton said, “We hope to one day see drones like ATRACT helping in natural disasters and terrorist attacks where saving time is key to saving lives.”

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The researchers ensure that ATRACT abides by the laws of war, medical ethics, and the UK Ministry of Defence, AI, and Autonomy’s principles of ethics. They must ensure the project abides by the laws at every stage.

A professor from the University of Portsmouth stated, “AI provides new ethical challenges, and we are determined that they are addressed throughout.”