Heat-Resistant Drone Could Scope, Map Burning Buildings, Wildfires

 Heat-Resistant Drone Could Scope, Map Burning Buildings, Wildfires

Imperial College London (U.K.)

Hayley Dunning, June 26, 2023

Scientists at the U.K.'s Imperial College London (ICL) and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology designed a heat-resistant drone that could inspect and define the scope of fires in buildings and woodland. The FireDrone incorporates thermal aerogel insulation material and a cooling system based on the release and evaporation of gas from carbon dioxide sensors so it can tolerate temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to 10 minutes. Explained ICL's Mirko Kovac, "FireDrone could be sent in ahead to gather crucial information—noting trapped people, building layouts, unexpected hazards—so that responders can prepare accordingly to keep themselves safe and potentially save more lives."  ... '

AI System Predicts How to Prevent Wildfires

 AI System Predicts How to Prevent Wildfires

Aalto University (Finland)

September 9, 2022

A neural network model developed by researchers at Finland's Aalto University can predict the effectiveness of different land management strategies in preventing wildfires. Their analysis concentrated on Borneo's Central Kalimantan province, and the model predicted the distribution of peatland fires from measurements captured before each fire season from 2002 through 2019. The researchers analyzed 31 factors, then forecast the likelihood of a peatland fire at each spot on the map, resulting in an annual expected fire distribution that was correct 80% to 95% of the time. They then simulated the effects of different land management strategies on such fires, and found that converting shrubland and scrubland into swamp forests would cut fire incidence in half.

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