# Open Collaborative Platform for Multi-Drones to Support Search and Rescue Operations
## 5 Conclusions and Future Work  
In this paper, we proposed an **Open Collaborative Platform** for multiple drones to assist SAR operations. The open platform allows drones that carry the Krypto module to collaborate with each other by sharing information and planning search paths/areas in search operations. The module is a low-cost module and easy to set up with downloadable software. We extended the Krypto module for the open platform to manage and share information with others. The extended module is able to control and download the status of the drone with provided APIs, and communicate with the Open Collaborative Platform and other drones that carry the module.  
In addition, we proposed three strategies, _Centralized_, _Distributed_, and _Hybrid_, for searching path planning to demonstrate the collaborative SAR operation in the open platform. To further improve the location estimation, _Dynamic Searching Path_ on Krypto module is proposed. The proposed **Open Collaborative Platform** allows anyone with a drone with an attached Krypto module to participate, contribute, and share information in SAR operations. Our experimental and simulation results showed that the Open Collaborative Platform not only improves the location estimation of victims but also reduces the time and resources needed in SAR operations.  
In the future, the platform can be extended to combine SAR teams on the ground with different techniques (i.e., life detector, SAR dog, thermal image, etc.,) to locate victims. In fact, a simplified Krypto module can carry by members of a searching team or even searching dogs to share the information. In addition, Krypto's main component is Raspberry Pi which can be extended with additional sensors such as air quality sensors (CO, CO\({}_{2}\), or particulate matter) and temperature sensors to detect any danger that the SAR team might encounter in the operation. To increase the efficiency and scalability of the searching operation, the signal from a cellular phone (4G or 5 G) can be used to narrow down the location of the victims. For the searching path of drones, the dynamic flight path can be extended to allow a drone to fly automatically toward the possible location of victims based  
Figure 22: Average search time vs. covered area.  
on the detected RSSIs. Moreover, the altitude of the flight path should be dynamically adjusted when a signal is detected to improve the location estimation of victims. With the advance in sensor and wireless technologies, Open Collaborative Platform can adapt to future technology.  
Conceptualization, [PERSON]-H.H. and Y.-J.T.; methodology, [PERSON]-H.H. and Y.-J.T.; software, Y.-J.T.; validation, [PERSON]-H.H. and Y.-J.T.; formal analysis, [PERSON] and [PERSON]; investigation, [PERSON] and [PERSON]; resources, [PERSON] and [PERSON]; data curation, [PERSON] and [PERSON]; writing--original draft preparation, [PERSON]-H.H.; writing--review and editing, [PERSON]-H.H.; visualization, [PERSON]-[PERSON]; supervision, [PERSON]-H.H.; project administration, [PERSON]-H.H.; funding acquisition, Y.-H.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was funded by Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology with grant number MOST 110-2221-E-003-001.  
Not applicable.  
The authors declare no conflict of interest.