Image Credit: ESA VIRTUE Consortium. Proprietary content. Sharing prohibited without authorization.
VIRTUE is a European Space Agency-funded project that aims to strengthen the effectiveness of search and rescue missions in remote and mountainous areas by integrating drone-based imaging, artificial intelligence, and satellite infrastructure into a single operational service.
Program: Connectivity and Secure Communications (CSC)
Funding Agency: European Space Agency – ESA
Project webpage: https://www.spacescience.ro/en/portfolio/virtue/
The system addresses key challenges identified by national mountain rescue agencies, including poor visibility, lack of real-time data, communication dead zones, and delays in victim detection. VIRTUE delivers a solution where UAVs equipped with visible and infrared sensors collect live video streams. These are processed by an on-site computing unit, enabling AI-based detection of potential victims and precise geolocation using satellite navigation.
The video stream is transmitted to the cloud via satellite communication, allowing remote volunteers to annotate video frames asynchronously through a web-based platform. These human and AI inputs are consolidated and visualized by mission coordinators for timely, informed decision-making.
The activity is carried out in collaboration with operational users from Romania and Italy, in terms of national mountain rescue associations, and includes technical feasibility, real-world field testing, and multi-role validation. It also assesses the service’s relevance to wider emergency scenarios, such as nuclear or radiological events, where situational awareness and connectivity are critical.