24 September, 2024- To lessen the effects of forest fires, early detection is essential. Artificial intelligence (AI) and sophisticated camera Drones are revolutionizing the firefighting industry. They help provide valuable time for a quick response. This can make all the difference in battling fires. This capability is becoming more important. The risk of forest fires is growing. Global warming is a major factor in this increase.
A study conducted by the European Forest Fire Information System revealed unsettling data. Forest fires cause up to 20% of the world’s CO2 emissions. This highlights the significant impact of wildfires on our environment. In 2022, fires in Germany burned 4,300 hectares of forest. This released approximately 739,000 tons of CO2. The scale of the damage was significant. These flames caused a great deal of environmental and economic harm.
A research team from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg is tackling this challenge. They are using Drone technology to help. Their goal is to reduce the impact of forest fires. Leon Seidel says, “The fire department can respond the earlier a forest fire gets detected”. He is a participant in the Evolonic study. “This lessens the amount of damage”.
The Evolution And Potential Of Drone Systems
Evolonic is a company involved in the project. Since 2018, they have been developing Drones and sensor systems. Their focus is on forest fire detection. The team has built four unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) prototypes. They are at various stages of development. An integral component of the procedure is testing.
Utilized in the summer of 2023, one of these Drones has a complete detection system. “According to Seidel, the Drone‘s range is roughly 100 kilometers. It has a 60-minute flight time.” “During this time, the Drone flies along predefined routes”, Seidel explains. “We optimize these routes to cover as large an area of forest as possible”.
The team outfitted the Drone with an industrial camera. SVS-Vistek supplied the lens for it. It also makes use of AI software that Evolonic has created. The AI algorithm then scans the 15 frames per second camera’s captured images for signs of smoke or fire.
Once verified, live photos and data from the Drone assist firefighters. They help in choosing the best approach to control the fire.
Drone-Enhanced Higher Order Vision Systems
High-quality vision system is a critical component of the Drone‘s detection capabilities. SVS-Vistek’s exo267CU3 USB3 Vision colour camera makes this system possible. This camera has an 8.8-megapixel resolution. It has a Sony CMOS worldwide shutter sensor. At only 138 grams, it satisfies the Drone‘s lightweight requirements. This design does not sacrifice performance. The camera can record up to 32 frames per second thanks to its frame rate.
Seidel notes that earlier prototypes faced challenges. They struggled to achieve high image quality in various lighting conditions. Working with SVS-Vistek, the Evolonic team was able to overcome this problem. According to Seidel, “This choice of lens and camera was the best one”. It offers a large sensor and low weight. The software support is also good, including for ARM64. Additionally, it connects to the Nvidia Jetson.
With this system, the Drone has demonstrated a higher early detection rate. This improvement applies to fire sources compared to previous versions. The enhanced camera quality helps the Drone operate. It performs well in different outdoor conditions, such as varying light and temperatures.
Future Prospects For Drone-Based Fire Monitoring
In the summer of 2023, Evolonic Drones underwent testing in Franconia. In Saxony-Anhalt, they were also put to the test during a sizable forest fire simulation. About extending the application area, the team is upbeat. They intend to cover every region in Germany, if not Bavaria. Based on Seidel’s estimation, we would need about fifty thousand euros. This amount is for extra development. This is the amount needed until the system is market-ready. The team’s ultimate goal is to build autonomous Drones that can forecast the spread of fires.
The Bavarian state government is currently considering Evolonic’s Drone system. They are planning a large pilot project. The planned start of this project is early in 2025. According to Seidel, Drones have a big benefit. This is an advantage over other fire detection methods like IoT devices and planes.
Drones are now essential due to the increased risk of forest fires brought on by climate change. Their deployment is now crucial. The technologies created by SVS-Vistek and Evolonic have a lot of promise. For efforts to avoid fires, it might end up being a crucial instrument.
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CEO, Maverick Drones And Technologies Private Limited