Sweep Width Estimation for Ground Search and Rescue

Abstract

Abstract : For the first time in history, a scientifically sound yet practical method for objectively determining detection probabilities for objects of importance to search and rescue (SAR) in the land environment was successfully developed and field-tested. Data was collected using volunteer searchers and analyzed with simplified analysis techniques, all at very low cost. This work opens the door for resolving search planning and evaluation issues that have been vigorously debated within the land SAR community for nearly 30 years but never settled. Searching is by its very nature a probabilistic process. However, a carefully planned search using the right tools and concepts is significantly more likely to succeed and, of equal importance when lives are at stake, succeed sooner. Planning a search consists of evaluating all the available information and then, since it is not generally possible to do a thorough search everywhere all at once, deciding how to best utilize the available, and often limited, search resources. However, a carefully planned search using the right tools and concepts is significantly more likely to succeed and, of equal importance when lives are at stake, succeed sooner. The simplest metric for quantifying is a value called the sweep (or search) (ESW). This concept reduces the combined effects of all the factors affecting detection (sensor, environment, search object) in a given search situation to a single number characterizing search object for that situation. Effective Sweep Width can be considered a detectability index that takes everything into consideration. An experimental methodology to determine effective sweep width had already been piloted and discussed in A Method for Determining Effective Sweep Widths For Land Searches: Procedures for Conducting Detection Experiments. That report made several suggestions for enhancements and noted several difficulties that occurred during the pilot experime

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