From firefighting in Thailand to critical infrastructure in Denmark – meet DIREC researcher, Chandhawat Boonyard

Chandhawat Boonyard is a researcher who specializes in human-drone interaction, bringing an extensive background in aerospace engineering, aircraft maintenance, and systems engineering to his work. After earning degrees in Thailand and France, he completed a doctoral thesis focusing on how drones could assist firefighters operating under tight budgets and difficult conditions in Thailand.

Today, Boonyard is applying his expertise in Denmark as part of the PERSIST project, which runs from 2025 to 2027 with funding of nearly four million Danish kroner. Working alongside partners including Aalborg University, the University of Southern Denmark, HOFOR, Ørsted, and Robotto.ai, he investigates how drones can act as collaborative teammates to protect critical infrastructure.

His research centers on making drones adapt to human behavior so they are not perceived as aggressive when operating in close quarters. Instead of merely surveying from high above, these drones can detect safety violations like missing helmets, spot machinery faults, guide technicians to exact locations, and use thermal cameras to verify that repairs are successful.

The technology enables two-way communication where drones can speak to workers and operators can respond via radio or hand gestures like a thumbs up or thumbs down. Boonyard has relocated to Aalborg for a two-year stint to collaborate with researcher Tim Merritt and the rest of the PERSIST team.