What type of remote sensing payload is used to locate missing persons with a UAS?

The use of electro-optical and infrared remote sensing payloads with a UAS for locating missing persons is highly effective due to their unique capabilities.

Electro-optical sensors utilize visible light cameras to capture detailed images of the ground, making them excellent for searching large areas. They can provide high-resolution images, enabling search operators to identify signs of life or recent human activity.

Infrared sensors are particularly valuable in this context because they can detect heat signatures, which is crucial for identifying individuals even in low-light conditions or obscured environments. Since living beings emit heat, infrared technology can reveal the presence of a person hidden in dense vegetation or at night, making it a powerful tool in search and rescue operations.

While the other choices offer certain advantages in specific scenarios, they do not provide the combination of visual detail and thermal detection necessary for efficiently locating missing persons. LiDAR and sonar, for example, are more suited for mapping topography and underwater environments, respectively, and may not be directly applicable for terrestrial search efforts. Radio waves and telemetry are focused on communication and data transmission, lacking the immediate sensory feedback needed for visual identification. Thus, the combination of electro-optical and infrared sensors represents the most effective approach for using UAS in search and rescue