Drones without Communication and GPS Will Help Search for the Missing: Beeline Launches Special Project with NTI

Beeline and the Foundation for Support of Projects of the National Technology Initiative (NTI) have begun cooperation to develop unmanned aviation technologies aimed at effective search for people. The project is being implemented within the framework of the federal project "Promising Technologies for Unmanned Aviation Systems."

The key element of the cooperation will be the "Autonomous Search" competition, scheduled until 2026. In it, drones must autonomously fly around hard-to-reach areas, process images on board, and transmit the coordinates of found objects in real time, without the need to upload data to the ground. The competition includes three intermediate stages — "Software", "On Board", "Navigation" — and the final stage "Autonomous Search."

The system is being developed taking into account operation in the absence of radio communication and satellite signal, and Beeline's infrastructure is used to ensure control and communication. The goal is to create solutions that can be integrated into commercially available unmanned aerial vehicles that can function effectively even in areas with limited coverage.

Previously, a similar technology, created as part of a previous competition, has already helped rescuers — in 2024, it contributed to the rescue of six people. The final tests of the competition will be held in September in a hard-to-reach area with the use of radio interference, which will allow testing the autonomy and effectiveness of the developed solutions.

The project stimulates the development of domestic AI technologies, onboard software and drone production, and also ensures the practical implementation of solutions that can be immediately used by search and rescue services.