Robots, artificial intelligence (AI) and apps are part of the high-tech front-line defense against the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles.
Firefighters are using every tool at their disposal – from AI sensors and firefighting robots to kerosene-powered aircraft – to contain what some meteorologists are calling the worst inferno in modern state history. Meanwhile, many L.A. residents are relying on apps like Watch Duty and social media to track the 27,000-acre firestorm, which has caused up to $57 billion in economic damage so far.
In their effort to beat back the blaze, the Los Angeles Fire Department has deployed a remote-controlled Thermite firefighting robot to go where humans can’t. The fire department is joined in its efforts by private tech companies in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley area that are working alongside to get the fire under control. They are making use of drones and satellite systems to keep a close eye on the fire behavior from a distance and relay the information timely to firefighters on the ground.
The nonprofit Watch Duty app — which offers updates on active fires and the crews fighting them, weather conditions, and push notification alerts — has been downloaded 1.5 million times in the past two days. The app provides a geospatial view highlighted with flame icons, evacuation zones, and surface winds.
Social media users have taken to the “Neighbors” forum on Amazon.com Inc.-owned Ring, to share information about the fires, as have some 300,000 members of Facebook’s CalFire Updates group. [The CalFire site makes broad use of all forms of AI to gather and collect real-time data.] Additionally, Direct Relief is using Meta’s Llama AI model to help the state anticipate where people will evacuate so counties and states can provide them housing, medical supplies and food. Tablet Command, an emergency response and management software, is being deployed in Los Angeles. It’s used by 40,000 firefighters and 1,000 public safety agencies nationwide and in Canada.
“Resilience starts at the property,” says Harry Statter, CEO of Frontline Wildfire Defense, maker of a digitally connected exterior sprinkler system that is protecting hundreds of homes in the Los Angeles area located in and around fire zones. Frontline sprays biodegradable, firefighting foam onto homes and surrounding areas, creating a protective barrier to extinguish embers.
In short, firefighters and civilians are doing all they can with a growing menu of tech solutions to cope with some 70,000 wildfires across the country each year. The severity and size of such fire storms has only intensified in the grip of climate change, forcing government and industry leaders to come up preventive devices and services reliant on AI and robotics.
“On the ground, the use of infrared imagery enhanced by neural AI has become a critical part of not only defining the fire intensity and areas but also to the potential for hotspots to flare up,” Dave Marcotte, senior vice president of cross-industry/cross-border and technology at Kantar Consulting, said in a message. “There have been attempts to make use for search and rescue, with more limited results. One emerging company doing before/after images is Maxar Technologies.”
Robots are playing an increasingly more important role in firefighting, whether detecting, defending or departing. Mobile models like Thermite are designed to navigate hazardous terrains and provide fire-suppression capabilities. Aerial robots are being deployed to provide an alternative view of fire situations, deliver supplies, and monitor ground conditions. Fire Urgency Estimator in Geosynchronous Orbit employs satellites for early warning signs of wildfires from space. Indoor models such as the THOR humanoid robot, developed at Virginia Tech, are built to open doors and operate hoses where it is too dangerous for real-life firefighters.
Dryad Networks, whom we profiled in October, has developed wildfire-detection technology that can spot brush fires within minutes of ignition through a network of AI sensors strategically placed along high-risk areas.
A fire-resistant, 1,200-square-foot ADU in Walnut, Calif., was built last year by Builtech Construction Group with RIC Technology’s (www.ricrobotics.com) 3-D printing robots.
Satellites and AI are being deployed by AiDASH to forecast wildfire risks up to five days in advance, providing 72-hour notice to mobilize emergency responses, and offer 24/7 active fire and weather monitoring.
At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate is teaming with state and local fire agencies and private business to develop several technologies ranging from wildfire sensors and edge computing to datacasting and network of inexpensive, deployable flood inundation sensors.
Robots are increasingly becoming part of disaster response in countries around the world. Armed with abilities to fly, crawl, swim, and skate, rescue robots can not only douse fire, but also help save lives under dangerous conditions. This is game-changing for operations that are too risky for humans to perform, and can help tackle catastrophes without exposing responders to life-threatening dangers.
