We've all seen footage of disaster victims being winched up into helicopters, in litter-type stretchers. It's not a good thing if those litters start spinning or swaying, though, which is what the thrust-vectoring Vita Rescue System is designed to stop.
Manufactured by Colorado-based Vita Aerospace, the device gets securely strapped and clipped onto the underside of a third-party medevac litter.
As that litter is being hoisted up to a rescue helicopter, sensors in the Vita continuously monitor its physical orientation in space, at a rate of 1,000 data points per second. As soon as any spinning or swaying motion is detected, the device responds by selectively activating its four integrated bi-directional electric fans – there's one at each corner.
As a result, the unwanted motion is reportedly stopped in less than three seconds. According to the company, such performance allows hoist rescues to be performed up to four times faster than would otherwise be possible.
Utilizing a wireless handheld remote (with a range of 1,000 m/3,281 ft), helicopter crews can either activate the Vita to start autonomously stabilizing the litter, or they can manually control its orientation themselves – the latter could come in handy if the litter is approaching the aircraft at the wrong angle, and needs to be turned around.
The Vita Rescue System weighs a claimed 65 lb (29 kg) and is powered by a quick-swappable lithium-ion-phosphate battery pack. A single 1- to 2-hour charge is said to be good for four to 16 hoists, depending on factors such as wind.
And although the device has been around for a year or so, it recently gained new attention when it was adopted for use by the United Arab Emirates' National Search and Rescue Center. You can see it in action, in the following video.
Source: Vita Aerospace
