Calling on a large number of connected people to solve a problem or collect useful data – also known as crowdsourcing – is now being put to use in wildfire prevention. And for this, any smartphone, even a relatively basic one, will do.
Computer science researchers at the University of Southern California have developed a new wildfire detection system, with the help of local residents. And you don't need the latest high-tech equipment to take part in this initiative, which detects and maps fires.
Specifically, the project uses low-cost cellphones installed on properties located in high-risk fire zones. Equipped with cameras and sensors, they continuously capture images of the surrounding vegetation up to one kilometer away. Thanks to algorithms developed by the researchers, the system can detect a fire outbreak in just a few seconds, and locate it to within a 50-meter radius.
Called FireLoc, this system is already capable of detecting fires within seconds of starting, and accurately mapping their location. The aim is to facilitate the work of firefighters by alerting them and guiding them more quickly than is currently the case, so that they can be even more effective in putting out fires quickly.
This approach not only aids the rescue services, but also complements the usual methods of fire detection, whether using satellites or drones, which are both much more costly and far less responsive.
By involving local residents and businesses, who install the phones outdoors, aiming them at the surrounding vegetation and trees, this system directly involves potential victims of California's often devastating wildfires. Still in the experimental phase, this crowdsourcing system is thought to be the very first of its kind dedicated to wildfire detection.
The aim now is to convince new volunteers to sign up, because by joining this system, many residents could help to better protect their homes at very little cost. – AFP Relaxnews
