Automated Wildfire Monitoring: AI-Enabled Drone Surveillance

The proposed drone-based system to be developed is intended to support wildfire management decision-making and fire-fighting operations in Alberta by leveraging state-of-the-art technologies.

Project at a Glance

Funding Recipient: Petroleum Technology Advisory Council
Website: Visit their website
Funding Awarded: $250,000
Project Duration: Jun 1, 2024 – Jul 31, 2025
Sector: Environment
Program: Land and Biodiversity Program

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Project description:

The project is developing an autonomous drone-based monitoring system that can be used BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) in support of wildfire management. It will analyze video streams in real time using onboard AI that can automatically task the drone to loiter and gather additional information about potential wildfire occurrences. The system will provide accurate assessments of hotspots and fire threats to enable quicker and more effective decision-making. This will help to reduce the exposure of firefighting personnel to dangerous conditions and allow for more targeted and efficient use of resources.