Dr. Konstantinos Katsaros and Dr. Lazaros Karagiannidis from the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) are leading an ambitious intra-city pilot project. Their purpose is to help communities address and combat the increasing threat of wildfires. The Belgian-born research initiative, known as 6G-VERSUS, recently received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Innovation Action programme. This project seeks to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced technology to confront global challenges, particularly the growing prevalence of wildfires.
The announcement coincided with a Future Conference in Birmingham, where Dr. Kamran Mahroof presented more details about the wildfires trial. In both recent years, West Yorkshire has experienced a steep rise in the occurrence of wildfires. To address this, local fire services have begun operationalizing specialized mapping tools and real-time weather forecasting applications to better predict fire activity. To address some of these issues, the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service recently deployed new lightweight personal protective equipment. This gear provides firefighters greater mobility and tactical safety.
“Wildfires are a global phenomenon and have been increasing in frequency and intensity in recent years,” stated Dr. Kamran Mahroof. He emphasized the importance of the 6G-VERSUS project in developing innovative solutions, saying, “We are immensely proud to be at the forefront of research addressing this pressing global challenge.”
The 6G-VERSUS initiative aims to develop a combined robotic dog and aerial drone system that enhances situational awareness for first responders during wildfire events. According to the project team, “In the Greek pilot of SNS-JU 6G-VERSUS, we’re developing a combined robotic dog and aerial drone system that boosts situational awareness for first responders during wildfires.” This new system hopes to use AI to analyze live camera feeds, while using 6G technology to quickly transmit information.
Dr. Mahroof articulated the project’s goal succinctly: “The whole idea for us is to identify wildfires as soon as possible.” By employing this technology, first responders can identify individuals at risk swiftly and deploy necessary resources while ensuring their safety.
Next year, the team hopes to visit Greece during the project’s development phase. Meanwhile, the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is looking to collaborate with the University of Bradford. They look forward to finding new solutions to creative wildfire prevention and suppression with all of you.