Dr. Kamran Mahroof from the University of Bradford recently discussed a groundbreaking wildfire detection trial at a conference in Birmingham. The project, called 6G-VERSUS, is an EU-funded research and innovation initiative aimed at running trials of 6G technology. WILDFIRE Global tasking Increased situational awareness for first responders fighting wildfires, which have been growing more frequent and intense thanks to climate change in recent years around the globe.
During his presentation, Dr. Mahroof underscored the immediate need to tackle the wildfire crisis. “Wildfires are a global phenomenon and have been increasing in frequency and intensity in recent years,” he stated. He highlighted the importance of early detection, saying, “The whole idea for us is to identify wildfires as soon as possible.”
On the ground next year, under the leadership of Dr. Konstantinos Katsaros and Dr. Lazaros Karagiannidis, a new pilot project will take place in Greece. They are both from the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS). With this project, they’re aiming to produce the world’s most dynamic robotic dog/aerial drone team. This game-changing technology will provide truly unparalleled and life-saving situational awareness to first responders.
Dr. Mahroof expressed pride in the research team’s work, stating, “We are immensely proud to be at the forefront of research addressing this pressing global challenge.” It involves the use of AI to understand real-time camera feeds, Tate said. By using 6G tech to transmit data faster, they want to be able to rapidly locate and identify people with medical needs during wildfires. This valuable capability will allow mission-critical resources to be deployed more efficiently, while protecting the safety of responders.
West Yorkshire, where Nathan lives, has experienced an increase in wildfires recently. Places such as Marsden Moor and Ilkley Moor have seen the brunt of this. The West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) are all too familiar with the growing wildfire risks. They recounted that they themselves don’t know a lot about this new technology yet. They still expressed a good level of interest in connecting with the University of Bradford team to discuss possible joint working.
WYFRS on active deployment of multi-tools for firefighting, rescue, & clean-up. They are dependent on mapping technologies and weather forecasting applications to plan for and predict fire behavior. The fire service has recently developed new lightweight personal protective equipment tailored for longer duration operations during wildfire responses. Included in the arsenal are special all-terrain vehicles outfitted to respond to these types of calls.
The 6G-VERSUS project, to which these technological developments are central, is off to a flying start. Researchers are hopeful that their new technique can dramatically enhance wildfire detection and response, saving lives and resources as the international risk of wildfires continues to escalate.
