LSU Engineering Professor Works With Coast Guard on Hurricane Preparedness
Over the past year, LSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Assistant Professor Navid Jafari has worked alongside the U.S. Coast Guard in New Orleans to leverage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, to facilitate its search and rescue operations immediately after a hurricane.
- Over the past year, LSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Assistant Professor Navid Jafari has worked alongside the U.S. Coast Guard in New Orleans to leverage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, to facilitate its search and rescue operations immediately after a hurricane.
- Within the first 24 hours after a hurricane, the U.S. Coast Guard is the first search and rescue group getting calls from people in distress, Jafari said.
- In April, Jafari was invited to U.S. Coast Guard training, where he worked with Lt. Jacob Bailey to set up exercises with and without drones.
- His hope is to continue this valuable reconnaissance research so that in case there is another Hurricane Harvey or Laura predicted to hit the Gulf Coast, LSU will be ready to act fast.