Drones detect forest fire in Kuopio as part of FireMan project in Finland

The concept of a swarm of drones communicating to locate a forest fire may seem like a scene from a science fiction movie, but it became a reality on Wednesday in Kuopio. This swarm intelligence has been developed under the FireMan project, which involves Finland’s National Land Survey, VTT Technical Research Centre, and the universities of Oulu and Jyväskylä.

The project’s advancements were showcased at the Fire Academy’s training area, where autonomously flying drones successfully detected a smoldering area of forest floor. Once the fire was located, the drones formed a circle around it and relayed images back to the researchers. “We have developed fully autonomous drones capable of swarming in a forest independently,” explained research professor Eija Honkavaara, who leads the project.

Currently, legislation does not permit fully autonomous flying drones. These drones are equipped with various cameras to detect fires and can transmit situational images to emergency services. They also have the capability to upload this data to the cloud, where it can be visualized in real-time on mapping platforms.

Moreover, the project has addressed the issue of operating drones in areas lacking communication networks. A tethered drone acts as a temporary base station, capable of hovering up to 100 meters high with its own satellite connection, powered via cable from a ground station. “It can remain airborne 365 days a year,” Honkavaara highlighted.

In addition to monitoring, AI has been trained to predict the movement of forest fires. The data collected by drones can be integrated into fire spread models to employ the best strategies for extinguishing wildfires. “Rapid suppression of forest fires has significant economic and social implications,” Honkavaara concluded. The FireMan project is funded by the EU’s recovery fund.