NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) has unveiled a bespoke version of its new Land Rover Discovery designed for use the Austrian Red Cross.

Called ‘Project Hero’, the so-called “advanced communication vehicle” comes with a roof-mounted drone and a landing system with self-centring and magnetic retention technology that lets the drone land on Project Hero when the vehicle is moving.

As the drone flies, live footage is transmitted to the Red Cross’s emergency response teams, helping them respond to landslides, earthquakes, floods and avalanches. The drone’s bird’s-eye view will particularly allow rescuers to investigate an emergency scene from a safe distance.

Project Hero was created to support Jaguar Land Rover’s partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). It is based on the 3.0-litre TD6 engine-powered version of the new Land Rover Discovery. The car will be based at the Austrian Red Cross training centre in Erzberg, and in Vienna, for 12 months from June 2017.