Drones equipped with thermal sensors can be used in search and rescue (SAR) operations to help locate missing persons, animals, or objects by detecting their heat signature. The thermal sensors are able to detect differences in temperature and display them in realtime as an image on a screen, allowing the operator to identify warm objects in the environment. This can also be live-streamed over the Internet to a control center anywhere.

Using drones with thermal sensors for SAR operations can be particularly useful in situations where the missing person or object is not visible to the naked eye, such as when it is hidden by vegetation or in low light conditions. The thermal sensors are able to detect the heat signature of the missing person or object, even if it is not visible to the operator, and display it as a bright spot on the screen. This can help the operator to quickly and accurately locate the missing person or object and direct the SAR ground team to the correct location.