Panasonic TOUGHBOOK joins the search for missing people in Sweden

Around 27,000 people were reported missing in Sweden in 2022

A new sponsored vehicle sets a whole new standard for locating the thousands of people, that are reported missing in Sweden each year.

written by: Stefan Lindau, Country Manager Nordics, Panasonic TOUGHBOOK

The vehicle is by far the most advanced in Scandinavia, when it comes to the technology enabling personnel to search for missing people. The car itself is a Volkswagen van equipped with a thermal imaging infrared camera from FLIR, installed on top of the car. The camera can rotate 360 degrees, tilt 90 degrees and functions as a highly efficient set of eyes, even at night. In fact, when for instance searching for a missing person in the woods, the camera will identify and highlight anything that does not naturally belong in the woods.

This image will then be broadcasted onto the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK tablet inside the car, from where the camera is controlled. At this point, the personnel can stop the car and begin the search on foot with a much higher likeliness of actually finding the missing person, since the unidentified object is highlighted in yellow brackets on the screen. Easy to see and easy to find.

Life saving technology

Both the car, the camera and the tablet are part of sponsorship cooperations with Missing People, and task leader and Missing People officer, Martin Persson is very enthusiastic about its potential.

"This vehicle and its technology is without a doubt going to play a key role in reconnecting missing people with their loved ones. We feel extremely lucky to have been able to do partnership deals that provide us with state-of-the-art equipment like this. My hopes are very high and I definitely expect the vehicle to help save lives.. I have a son with Down’s syndrome and when he was a small kid, he had a tendency of running away and getting lost. One day, we were at a summerhouse, when he got lost. I found him in the lake, very close to drowning, so I know what it feels like when a close family member goes missing. This is why I spend so much time working for Missing People."

Modern technology can work wonders

According to Swedish police, around 27,000 people were reported missing in Sweden in 2022 – and the number keeps climbing. In most cases, the people in question are elderlies with Dementia. However, worryingly, an increasing number of young people aged 11-16 are also reported missing, because of e.g. depression and mental illness.

Therefore, the work of an organizations like Missing People cannot be overrated, according to Stefan Lindau, Nordic Country Manager of Panasonic TOUHGBOOK

"We are very humble about taking part in locating missing people in Sweden. The real heroes here are the thousands of volunteers, who spend hundreds of hours helping others. But of course, this is also an example of how to make the world a better place by applying modern technology to everyday situations."

Missing People is a non-profit organization who assists families and police departments in locating missing people all over Sweden. The organization is present in 23 regional Swedish departments. More than 70,000 volunteers donate their time in order to help families reconnect with their loved ones.

You can sign up as a Missing People volunteer through the Missing People website. When a person goes missing in your area, you will be called to take part in an instant search via SMS. In most cases, the first 24 hours are crucial when it comes to locating missing people

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Panasonic TOUGHBOOK joins the search for missing people in Sweden

Life saving technology

Modern technology can work wonders

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