About two months ago on July 17, a landslide struck on the outskirts of the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, burying residential buildings and forcing more than 1,100 people to evacuate, according to local officials and state media reports.

At least 51 people lost their lives from the disaster and 10 others were still missing by the end of the month, in what local authorities described as the worst disaster to visit China in ten years.

The landslide occurred at around 9:08AM in Pengshui County on the outer edge of the Chongqing municipality, when massive amounts of rocks and soil washed downslope, burying more than 10 residential buildings, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Ten people were rescued from the debris, including two who were seriously injured, Pengshui County Mayor Ren Xujiang said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping asked authorities to determine the cause of the disaster, state media said.

The landslide contained about 18,000 cubic meters (636,000 cubic feet) of rocks and debris, and the largest single rock was around 3,000 cubic metres (106,000 cubic feet), said Wang Chuanjun, head of Planning and Natural Resources in Pengshui County.

In the aftermath of the disaster, company JOUAV also deployed its drones to help with recovery efforts, and below is the story of how they went about it.

Following a landslide in Pengshui County, Chongqing, on July 17, JOUAV emergency response team deployed its autonomous aerial mapping solution to assist local authorities with rapid disaster assessment and emergency response.

Using the JOS-P200 vehicle-mounted multirotor drone hangar, the team rapidly launched an aerial reconnaissance mission. Within approximately one hour, responders obtained high-resolution aerial imagery and a detailed 3D model of the affected area, providing command center with an up-to-date understanding of terrain conditions, landslide boundaries, and potential secondary hazards.

The deployment demonstrates how autonomous UAV systems can rapidly provide actionable geospatial intelligence when traditional ground surveys are limited by damaged infrastructure, unstable terrain, or restricted site access.

Real-Time 3D Mapping While the UAV Is Still in Flight

At the core of the operation was JOS-P200 Real-Time 3D Mapping System, integrating the PH-10H multirotor UAV, remote sensing payloads including EO/IR gimbals, oblique cameras, a broadband communication link, and a mobile edge-computing workstation equipped with real-time modeling software.

Unlike conventional mapping workflows that require post-processing after landing, the system performs data acquisition, transmission, processing, and model generation simultaneously. Orthomosaics, DSM, and textured 3D models are generated continuously while the UAV remains airborne.

The system delivers spatial resolution of up to 10cm, while a one square kilometre disaster area can be modeled in less than five minutes, dramatically reducing the time required to generate the first operational map for emergency decision-making.

Intelligent Analysis Beyond Live Video

The platform combines aerial imagery, video streaming, broadband communications, edge computing, and AI-assisted analysis into a unified workflow.

Emergency teams can perform intelligent object recognition, 3D measurements, spatial analysis, and collaborative annotation directly within the live 3D environment. Roads, buildings, vehicles, forests, waterways, and other critical features can be quickly identified, helping responders evaluate access routes, define hazard zones, and coordinate rescue operations more efficiently.

The platform also supports real-time integration of field sensor data, providing commanders with a comprehensive operational picture and enhanced situational awareness throughout the response process.

From Rapid Deployment to Large-Scale Disaster Mapping

The JOS-P200 vehicle-mounted drone hangar enables emergency teams to begin aerial operations within minutes after arriving on site, making it well suited for rapid response missions.

For larger disaster areas, JOUAV also provides a real-time 3D mapping solution based on its CW-15 VTOL UAV platform, enabling long-range BVLOS operations across complex terrain while continuously transmitting mapping data to a mobile processing terminal for live scene reconstruction.

In a recent deployment, a CW-15 UAV equipped with a professional five-camera oblique mapping payload completed real-time transmission and generated a detailed 3D model covering 2.18 square kilometres in approximately five minutes after data acquisition.

As emergency management agencies increasingly demand faster access to accurate geospatial information, integrated UAV-based real-time 3D mapping systems are becoming an essential tool for improving disaster response efficiency and supporting informed decision-making when every minute matters.