Autonomous Drones on Reservoirs for Smoke Detection

The Challenge

Firefighters in the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) are constantly putting their lives at risk to gain increased visibility of bushfires; both of their initiation and progression in intensity and travel. A recent presentation by the RFS has identified how advances in various technologies, including weather forecasting, aircraft, sensors and telecommunications, have assisted in improving visibility while mitigating human risk. This project aims to supplement these tools and offer an additional source of visual information to fire services that leverages existing infrastructure owned by Sydney Water and autonomous drone technology.

The Solution

This project will develop an autonomous air vehicle that will be housed in enclosures atop Sydney Water’s elevated reservoirs. Once commissioned, the vehicles will periodically ascend to preset altitudes and capture 360degree video of the surroundings, providing the RFS with high-frequency visual information from multiple remote locations. Such data will not only assist in identifying and tracking fires, but also alleviate the need for RFS personnel to risk their safety in climbing these reservoirs in extreme conditions.

Industry Partners

University Partners