One area that is
receiving a lot of benefit from UAS technology is the area of firefighting and wildfire
monitoring. UAV’s with cameras and sensor payloads have become a great benefit
to ground firefighting forces by giving them the ability to determine the
direction a fire is spreading, areas that are populated that need evacuation,
and areas that could be beneficial for containing the fire.
The first platform that I would like to review is the
Elimco E300 with Fenix. This platform has the ability to be launched and
operate for an hour and a half up to 27 miles away from the launch site (Roberts, 2014) . It has a large
payload capacity and can be fitted with monitoring equipment for night
monitoring. It can also loiter over an area for three hours and get as far away
as 62 miles from the launch point on a night operation (Roberts, 2014) . The Fenix application also gives the
operators the ability to map fire lines with a real time mapping tool (Roberts, 2014) . This system is a
great system but the drawback can be the limited amount of monitoring time. The
platform is affordable for civil responders who do not have the budget of the
DOD but used in conjunction with another platform the advantages increase.
The second platform that I would like to discuss is the
eBee by SenseFly. This platform is a lot smaller than conventional platforms
and sports a wingspan of only 37.8 inches and weighs only 1.5 lbs. (Roberts, 2014) . This innovative
platform has a foam body with a rear propeller and can cover 10 miles in a
single flight (Roberts, 2014) . It uses Google Maps to program its
flight plan and 10 drones can be controlled simultaneously from a single
control station (Roberts, 2014) . With its Postflight Terra 3D-EB
mapping software it can create 3D terrain and elevation models which can be
very beneficial to firefighting ground forces (Roberts, 2014) . The advantages of this platform are
that it is small, lightweight, and backpack transportable for firefighters on
the ground. The disadvantages are that the payload is very limited so the
camera cannot, as of yet, be switched out and is susceptible to damage from
heat if it gets too close to the fire.
The third platform that I want to discuss is the Kaman
UAT. The Kaman UAT is an unmanned helicopter that can be used by first
responders to transport gear and personnel or evacuate personnel in a dangerous
area (Roberts, 2014) . This platform has a 6000 pound payload
capacity and can be fitted with optional CBRN sensors. It has been used to
deliver food, water, and fuel and radio equipment to mountain top environments (Roberts, 2014) . Versatility and its
large payload capacity are distinct advantages. A disadvantage is the size
limits it to many confined areas.
There are not many legal or ethical challenges for using
these platforms for firefighting support, wildfire monitoring, or rescue
operations. In some cases using these platforms for disaster relief in urban
areas could possibly be illegal if the agency deploying the platform does not
have the correct licensing to use it in populated areas.
References
Roberts, M. (2014, March 20). Fire Rescue.
Retrieved from Firerescue1:
http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-products/communications/articles/1867819-5-drone-technologies-for-firefighting/
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