How Iceland police use drones in wake of volcano eruptions

In the face of volcanic fury, drones come in as a key force. At least that’s the case over in Iceland, which is a land not just of ice but of fire. Volcano eruptions create a unique set of challenges for emergency response teams in Iceland. That’s why Iceland police officers are turning to drones to make their operations more efficient and safer.

DJI, which is the world’s largest drone manufacturer, today released a 5-minute video serving as a sort of ‘case’ study’ explaining how Iceland police use their drones and adjacent equipment, such as their DJI Dock.

DJI’s video hones in on the volcano eruptions that started in November 2023. These were notable because — unlike other more recent volcanic eruptions that happened in rural areas — this one had a direct impact on people and infrastructure.

Watch it here:

How a DJI Dock arrived in Iceland

Drone docks are a relatively new technology. Sometimes referred to as “drone-in-a-box,” these docks are designed for enterprise use. They are most useful in situations where drones need to fly (and continuously recharge and transmit data).

The premise is simple. These boxes are able to protect drones once they’ve landed, opening and closing with an automatic locking mechanism. And, depending on how advanced the box technology is, drone docks enable drones to transmit data and automatically recharge within the box.

DIJ’s version of a drone dock, called the DJI Dock, launched in 2022. The DJI dock can be operated remotely and live over the internet, both manually and via pre-programmed flight routes. Their version of the box is fairly durable, including that it’s waterproof.

And after the November 2023 volcano eruption in Iceland, first responders in Iceland decided they needed on in their country. With that, they installed a DJI Dock in the town of Grindavik, allowing them to assess and monitor the situation from a safe distance.

They installed the DJI Dock, which retails for about $9,000 now in its newer, ‘DJI Dock 2’ form in tandem with the  DJI Matrice drone. That drone is considered a high-performance, enterprise aircraft that has multiple sensors including a Zoom camera and a thermal camera.

DJI Dock functions where people can’t

DJI Docks serve their most valuable function in situations where people can’t be there to tend to drones. That could be allowing drones to fly the lengths of far out pipelines that would be impractical to have a human commute to. At the end of the line, a drone can dock and recharge. They can also just conduct daily monitoring missions of fields and forests, where a human might not necessarily want to get to regularly.

But in Iceland, the DJI Dock’s ability to function sans humans had a functional purpose. The DJI Dock was installed and set up at a time when the town’s 3,600 residents had already been evacuated, given the nature of the volcano.

Of course, people did have to do the initial setup, which wasn’t easy. Installers needed to wear gas masks and carry oxygen sensors due to the volcanic activity. But once installed, the humans left.

And with that, the drone alone offered humans that essential “eye in the sky” to monitor the eruptions from a safe distance.

Data from the volcano, which has erupted five times (including most recently in June 2024) has been valuable for workers in fields including law enforcement, science and civil protection.

A history of drones in Iceland

Though this 2023 volcano eruption was particularly notable given its proximity to people, drones have long been used in Iceland — both for monitoring volcanos and other general use.

In fact, according to DJI, Icelandic police have been using drones since 2016. That was primarily for field and investigation work, special operations, security, search and rescue.

They made a big impact in terms of volcano monitoring in 2021. Then, drones on the Reykjanes Peninsula were used for monitoring, search and rescue, scientific research and mission mapping.

Drones are generally considered invaluable tools for the Icelandic police in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. Equipped with high-resolution cameras, they can provide real-time aerial footage of the affected areas. This enables law enforcement to:

• Assess damage: Quickly evaluate the extent of damage to infrastructure, homes, and the environment.
• Monitor lava flow: Track the progression of lava flows, helping to predict potential hazards and evacuate residents if necessary.
• Traffic management: Control traffic flow and reroute vehicles away from dangerous areas.

Thermal imaging is key

That said, drones generally don’t rely on visual cameras alone. Thermal cameras are key in detecting heat sources. And these days, thermal cameras are getting increasingly advanced, largely thanks to AI technology.

For example, American camera and sensor maker Teledyne FLIR in June 2024 launched the Hadron 640+. The device’s 640 x 512 resolution Boson+ longwave infrared (LWIR) camera module is capable of thermal sensitivity of 20 millikelvin (mK) or better.

What about DJI? These days, the H30T is the drone maker’s hottest thermal product. This impressive little payload integrates all five major modules: a wide-angle camera, zoom camera, infrared thermal camera, laser range finder, and NIR auxiliary light. It’s compatible with the DJI Matrice 300 RTK and Matrice 350 RTK.