17 Oct A unique lifesaving Discovery
The bespoke vehicle has entered active service with the Red Cross emergency response fleet.
The special Land Rover Discovery was developed from the original Project Hero concept car and is the result of an 18-month collaboration between Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations and the Austrian Red Cross.
The specially designed and engineered Discovery has the latest communications equipment, including an advanced eight-rotor drone with a long-range thermal imaging camera capable of spotting a person from 440m and can identify a vehicle at almost 1,000m.
The operator can also track objects found using the drone simply by tapping the item on the slide-out main computer touchscreens video feed and obtain precise co-ordinates – crucial when directing rescue efforts.
The Discovery will operate as a mobile nerve centre for disaster emergencies from which Red Cross experts can direct rescue operations.
Bespoke features include four radio antennae, 360-degree lighting and a unique integrated carbon fibre loadspace Command Centre, enabling Red Cross operatives to co-ordinate emergency responses as soon as they reach the scene of an emergency, day or night.
Based on a 258PS 3.0-litre TD6 Land Rover Discovery, it allows emergency crews to reach remote disaster zones quickly in all conditions, then provide instant updates to improve response times and co-ordinate emergency planning.
Dr Jemilah Mahmood, IFRC Under Secretary General for Partnerships said: “This unique vehicle, will make a difference in rescue operations in the harshest conditions. We are proud to be working with Land Rover to build resilience in communities around the world in the face of natural disasters such as monsoons, flooding and earthquakes.”
LAND ROVER
Landrover.co.uk