Aerial wildfire detection becomes a reality
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have made a significant breakthrough in wildfire detection, demonstrating the potential of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-Internet of Things (IoT) networks to significantly shorten the time taken to detect wildfires, especially in high-risk regions such as near human settlements and national parks.
The team's findings, published in the IEEE Internet of Things Journal (DOI: 10.1109/JIOT.2021.3077593), simulate a wildfire detection IoT/UAV network and show that the more UAVs that are deployed, the faster a fire can be detected.
UAVs are utilised to wirelessly gather data from each sensor, returning to base to report a fire or to recharge their depleted batteries. Deploying a massive number of low-cost IoT sensors through the forest allows for early wildfire detection at the sensor level.
However, beyond a certain sensor density, the extra time UAVs spend gathering data in each location compromises their capability to monitor the whole forest. Therefore, there is an optimal UAV and IoT device density for effective wildfire detection.
Currently, wildfire detection is mainly performed by satellite imaging and remote cameras. These technologies can be impeded by cloudy weather, and fires can grow to a considerable size before they are spotted. The research shows that UAV-IoT networks can detect wildfires much faster than satellite imaging and remote cameras, making them particularly suitable for high-risk regions.
Moreover, UAV-IoT networks could only cover relatively small areas of forest compared to satellite imaging. However, given optimal UAVs and IoT device densities, the wildfire can be detected in a much shorter time when compared with satellite imaging.
The research also indicates that UAV-IoT networks are rapidly advancing, allowing for ubiquitous application at declining deployment cost. However, the search results do not provide information about which company or organization initiated the development of the UAV-IoT network for early forest fire detection.
In conclusion, the research on UAV-IoT networks for wildfire detection presents a promising solution to the current challenges faced in wildfire detection. With further development and optimisation, these networks could revolutionise the way wildfires are monitored and controlled in high-risk regions.
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