Huawei Tests New Forest Fire Prevention System in Greece
ATENY, Grecja, 4 września 2024 r. /PRNewswire/ — Huawei recently collaborated with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and start-up PROBOTEK to conduct tests on a new forest fire prevention system in Greece. The tests, which were part of Huawei’s initiative called TECH4ALL, were successful and showcased the potential of the innovative solution.
The real-time system was tested using simulations of smoke and fire outbreaks. This solution aims to enable emergency services to respond to potential forest fires within 15 minutes, a critical window during which the chances of containing the threat are highest.
Ren Fujun, CEO of Huawei for Southeast Europe, emphasized the company’s commitment to bringing cutting-edge technologies to Greece to protect the environment, biodiversity, and ensure the safety of citizens and their property.
Greece faces a significant risk of extensive forest fires due to hot, dry, and windy summers. Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires in Greece, causing potential long-lasting damage to natural ecosystems and posing a growing threat to human life and property.
The testing of the smoke and fire outbreak was conducted by NKUA and PROBOTEK on the university’s forested land in Athens. Sensors placed in the forest, connected through Huawei’s network technologies, alerted the command center to dispatch an autonomous drone to the test site.
Using images captured by the drone, along with meteorological and geomorphological data, artificial intelligence analyzed the real-time detection of smoke and fire, predicting the spread of the fire, estimated time of arrival in inhabited areas, identifying fire-prone areas requiring evacuation, and mapping out evacuation routes.
The system consists of an AI-based command center connected to drones and sensors linked to 5G networks, which detect air particles, CO2 levels, temperature, wind direction, and speed.
The initial phase of the solution, which involved drone-based fire detection using AI, was implemented in 2022 in Syggrou, near Athens. The current version has been expanded to include fire spread analysis, evacuation planning, and route mapping for firefighting vehicles and ambulances. The new solution also estimates the number of people in the fire-threatened area and sends personalized notifications to residents’ phones via an app with suggested evacuation routes based on local civil protection plans.
This comprehensive solution enables the rapid implementation of evacuation protocols, saving lives and mitigating environmental and property damage.
The system was showcased in action in the third episode of the Discovery-produced series “Being Digi-Sapiens,” titled “Connecting with Nature.” Viewers can witness the precision of the system and learn about the activation of sensors and dispatching of drones.
Huawei’s TECH4ALL initiative aims to promote digital inclusion and long-term action. For more information, visit the Huawei TECH4ALL website at https://www.huawei.com/en/tech4all.
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By implementing innovative solutions like the forest fire prevention system, Huawei continues to demonstrate its commitment to leveraging technology for environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and citizen safety. The successful testing in Greece highlights the potential of such systems to mitigate the impact of wildfires and safeguard lives and property.
