4. Autonomous Aerial Firefighting

Introduction

Wildfires devastate ecosystems and communities worldwide, affecting approximately four million square kilometres of land annually, about half the size of Australia. Climate change is exacerbating these disasters, with warmer temperatures drying out vegetation, making wildfires more frequent, intense, and widespread. Aerial firefighting, using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, has been a key tool in wildfire suppression, allowing for the direct discharge of water or fire retardant onto hot spots or the creation of control lines. As wildfires worsen, current fire fighting methods must evolve to enhance safety and productivity. Autonomous aerial systems are emerging as a promising solution. Companies like Airbus have demonstrated groundbreaking advancements in autonomous aerospace technology. This project challenges students to explore how autonomous technology can enhance aerial firefighting operations to improve safety or productivity.

Task

Your team is tasked with researching and evaluating existing aerial firefighting strategies and designing a solution that incorporates autonomous technology to either improve human safety or increase productivity when combating wildfires. Select a wildfire-prone region and develop a conceptual, yet practicable, design that enhances current human-controlled systems. The design could focus on wildfire detection, suppression, or related rescue operations and should be a physical product, either an improvement of an existing aircraft system or a novel concept.

Considerations

1. Technology
Your solution will rely on autonomous technology. Consider whether the technology is well-established or still in development, and how it functions to improve current firefighting methods. Analyse how autonomous systems, such as drone swarms or self-piloted aircraft, can offer better control, precision, and speed during wildfire operations.

Questions to consider:

• What autonomous technologies will you integrate, and how do they improve upon current human-controlled systems?

• How will the autonomous system handle real-time decision-making, especially in unpredictable fire conditions?

• Is the technology mature enough for immediate deployment, or will further development be required?

2. Infrastructure
For your design to be practical, consider the infrastructure available in your chosen wildfire-prone region. Autonomous systems will need logistical support, including command centres, charging stations, and maintenance facilities. Additionally, assess how your solution will interact with existing firefighting operations and whether new infrastructure is required to support it.

Questions to consider:

• What existing infrastructure (e.g., airports, refuelling stations) can support your autonomous system?

• How will your system integrate with current aerial firefighting operations?

• Will additional infrastructure be required for operation, such as ground control stations or remote communication networks?

3. Market Factors
Analyse the demand for autonomous aerial firefighting systems in regions prone to wildfires. Consider how your system can be deployed in multiple markets, including government agencies, private firefighting contractors, and international organisations. Also, evaluate potential regulatory and public acceptance challenges.

Questions to consider:

• What is the market demand for autonomous aerial firefighting technology?

• Who are the key stakeholders (e.g., governments, private companies) that might adopt your solution?

• What challenges, such as regulatory approval or public trust, might affect the adoption of autonomous firefighting systems?

4. Safety, Security, and Risks
Safety is a critical concern in firefighting. Autonomous systems must enhance safety for both firefighters and civilians while maintaining effective fire suppression. Your design should identify how safety is improved, either by reducing pilot risk or enhancing ground crew protection. Additionally, assess any new risks introduced by autonomous operations, such as system failures or cybersecurity threats.

Questions to consider:

• How will your solution improve safety for pilots, ground crews, and civilians during wildfire suppression?

• What are the potential risks associated with autonomous systems (e.g., loss of communication, software failure), and how will you mitigate them?

• What cybersecurity measures will be implemented to protect against potential threats or system hacks?

5. Project Management Approach
Clear project planning and management will be essential to the success of your solution. Outline a timeline for research, development, testing, and deployment. Ensure that your plan accounts for key milestones, resource allocation, and risk management.

Questions to consider:

• What project management methodology will you use to ensure timely development and testing of your autonomous system (e.g., Scrum and Sprint, Agile, Waterfall)?

• How will you allocate resources (e.g., team members, time, materials) for each phase of the project?

• What are the key milestones, and how will you manage unforeseen challenges during development?

6. Costing and Feasibility
Provide a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with research, development, manufacturing, and operation of your autonomous system. Analyse whether the solution is affordable for governments or private organisations and whether the long-term benefits outweigh the initial costs.

Questions to consider:

• What are the research, development, and manufacturing costs associated with your design?

• How does your solution compare with current fire fighting methods in terms of operational costs and efficiency?

• Is the system scalable and affordable for widespread adoption by firefighting agencies?

7. Sustainability, Ethics, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Your solution should be sustainable and future-proof. Consider the environmental impact of your design, including material selection and energy consumption. Additionally, reflect on how your solution promotes equality and inclusivity, ensuring it benefits a wide range of communities and creates opportunities for diverse stakeholders in technology and firefighting.

Questions to consider:

• How will your system contribute to sustainability, including minimising environmental impact during production and operation?

• Can your design use recyclable or environmentally friendly materials?

• How does your solution promote diversity and inclusion, both in terms of access to the technology and involvement of underrepresented groups in its development and deployment?

Further Information

1. European Space Agency Climate Office, Multi-Decade Global Fire Dataset Set To Support Trend Analysis, (2021). Available:     https://climate.esa.int/de/news-events/multi-decade-global-fire-dataset-set-support-trend-analysis/  [Accessed October 12, 2024].

2. T. Artés, D. Oom, D. de Rigo, T.H. Durrant, P. Maianti, G. Libertà, J. San-Miguel-Ayanz, A global wildfire dataset for the analysis of fire regimes and fire behaviour, Sci. Data. 6 (2019) 1–11. Available: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-019-0312-2 [Accessed October 12, 2024].

3. Firefighting Aircraft Recognition Guide, (n.d.) 20. Available: www.fire.ca.gov  [Accessed October 12, 2024].

4. The Scottish Government., Wildfire Operational Guidance. Technical Report., 2013. Available: https://www.gov.scot/publications/fire-rescue-service-wildfire-operational-guidance/documents/ [ Accessed October 12, 2024]. 

5. Insight, The Journey towards Autonomy in Civil Aerospace, August, 2020. 

6. L. Newton, Autonomous Systems | NASA, (2021). Available: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/autonomous-systems [Accessed October 12, 2024].

7. Aerospace autonomy laboratory, (n.d.). Available: https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/facilities/aerospace-autonomy-lab [Accessed October 12, 2024].

8. Autonomy in Aerospace - Centre for Autonomous Systems - University of Liverpool, (n.d.). Available:  https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/autonomous-systems/research-themes/autonomy-in-aerospace/?  [ Accessed October 10, 2024]. 

9. Airbus, Wayfinder Project, (n.d.). Available: https://acubed.airbus.com/projects/wayfinder/ [Accessed October 12, 2024].

10. Mehra, Ankit, et al. "Vision-Based Control of UAV for Autonomous Firefighting." 2024 16th International Conference on Computer and Automation Engineering (ICCAE). IEEE, 2024. Available: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10569529?casa_token=WH99fwEIBekAAAAA:ZieMdjUniy59YCQBNKe757_VUTduVsTfkkzgvMVvWcmHkNHIqHqV3VA-gf0y4LHR1jiIORhdOQ    [Accessed October 12, 2024].