Spain: Video-based system to monitor forest fires

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Researchers at the Spanish universities of Seville and Pablo de Olavide have co-designed a vision computing system that monitors forest fires in real-time.

The video-monitoring system relies on the use of both visual and infrared images taken from different viewpoints. The visual information is digitised and transferred to a computer system which generates a 3D-model of the fire from which the position of the flame front, its maximum height and angle can be estimated.

The inventors of this technology intend it to be used to study the development of fires and to improve fire-extinguishing techniques. Luis Merino, Professor at the Polytechnic School of Pablo Olavide in Seville, said: “Fire-fighters can also use it to obtain precise, real-time information about fire patterns, a very important matter in relation to the safety of the reserve fire-fighting teams.”

As part of the AWARE project at the Robotics Vision and Control Group of the University of Seville, researchers are looking to integrate camera and computer systems to helicopters and automated air robots, vehicles that can access the site of the fire easily.

This approach has been tested in controlled forest fire experiments in collaboration with researchers at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. In addition the inventors of this technology are associated with the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science funded AEROSENS project, committed to fighting against natural disasters using sensor networks and aerial robots.