Robot drones to the rescue

Finland is among the world leaders in drone research. The next goal for researchers is to develop the technology and test how a swarm of coordinating drones equipped with AI can detect and prevent forest fires.

The FireMan consortium is taking up the challenge. The consortium comprises the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI) of the National Land Survey of Finland (NLS), the University of Jyväskylä, the University of Oulu, and researchers from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The project will run from 2022 to 2024, funded by the Academy of Finland.

“We’re developing a new AI-based drone technology to quickly detect forest fires and provide situational awareness when extinguishing the fires,” says project leader, Professor Eija Honkavaara from NLS.

There is a global demand for innovative solutions for preventing forest fires. According to statistics, more than 400 000 hectares of forest burned down in 2019, which was the worst year for forest fires in Europe. This grim record was broken last year. Half a million hectares of European forest were already burned down by October, and forest fires are only expected to increase due to global warming.

Communication must work even in remote areas

In the FireMan project, universities and research centres are developing solutions for forest fire control and simultaneously conducting scientific research in autonomous flying, digital modelling, and communication.

The task of the FGI is to develop a decision support system based on digital twins for controlling forest fires – in other words, a real-time digital modelling of the forest fire area. It also offers accurate data on how the fire is progressing. 

“Drones can help us in providing real-time information on how the fire front is progressing, and how high and hot the flames are. We’re developing methods to locate a swarm of drones and produce remote sensing data in real time. In addition, we’re developing sensor technology that surpasses the ability of the human eye in terms of seeing through smoke,” says Honkavaara. 

The University of Jyväskylä is researching forecast models for fire progression and ways to optimise AI algorithms in real-time analytics. 

“Forest fire progression can be modelled numerically, considering topographical features, vegetation, and wind direction. In this project, we use forecast models to teach the AI so that it can assess the fire progression based on remote sensing data collected in real time,” says Associate Professor Ilkka Pölönen from the University of Jyväskylä.

The researchers from the University of Oulu, meanwhile, are focusing on crisis communication and determining the possibilities of 5G and 6G networks. “Drones will form a new device category in the future and create new requirements for mobile networks. The performance of the broadband connection from the device to the network will be crucial. The connections will also have to work reliably in remote areas and at typical flight altitudes,” explains Tuomo Hänninen from the University of Oulu.

Drones tested during prescribed burning

In the FireMan project, the researchers will test the drones in practice. Material is collected during prescribed burning by the Finnish Forest Centre and Metsähallitus, a state-owned enterprise that manages most of the protected areas of Finland. The first drone flights will take place later this year. 

A demonstration will be held at the end of the project in which drones are operated as a group to observe and monitor a situation such as a forest fire.