奇速英语

瑞士无人机凭何脱颖而出？

Where people cannot safely go, such as in burning buildings, on fallen structures, or on top of windy industrial towers, Swiss drones are being used. Switzerland is using these flying machines not only to watch but also to touch and change their surroundings.

These drone advances are useful in difficult places. FireDrone, started by Fabian Wiesemüller and others, has made a drone that can be “used in a burning fire”. This technology lets firefighters fly into burning houses to look for missing people or check very hot areas in steel factories and cement plants.

For disaster help that needs long-distance carrying, Dufour Aerospace, led by CEO Sascha Hardegger, created wings that can change position. This turns drones into small airplanes after taking off straight up. This system helps to carry important goods and tools to disaster places where roads cannot be used.

Thomas Zurbuchen, who leads ETH Zurich’s special Geolab, explains the country’s special “good position.” “We are small,” he says. “This means we can do things that others cannot. For example, we can study a whole mountain and fly drones above it.” The Geolab puts together information from drones, satellites, and ground sensors to better guess when natural disasters may happen. Switzerland’s small size, along with its strong computing power and research knowledge, makes it a perfect testing place. “We can bring everything together... where we then not only solve problems here, but also use the solutions around the world,” Zurbuchen says.

While military uses get more news in other countries, Swiss companies have found an important place in everyday uses, including farming and disaster help. This clear direction is supported by a strong money system, with about 60 percent of Swiss investment for new businesses going into new technology companies. From EPFL labs to world industrial places, Swiss drones show how gathered special knowledge can solve serious real-world problems.