In this period when the world we live in is getting hotter and uncontrollable fires are becoming more frequent and severe, manpower cannot easily prevent them. With world temperature alarming, governments are trying to benefit from the power of artificial intelligence technology.
As a result of the cooperation between companies using artificial intelligence technology and governments, forest fires began to be detected in advance. For this technology to work, a small amount of smoke is enough for cameras using artificial intelligence to detect it.
In California, fire departments can detect smoke thanks to more than 1,000 cameras broadcasting video on mountain slopes. They do this thanks to the artificial intelligence technology they integrate into cameras.
Artificial intelligence models integrated into cameras inform emergency command centers and activate firefighting teams. Teams can take control of the situation before the fire’s impact area increases. In this way, forest fires can be prevented, although not completely.
An initiative called ‘Pano AI’, not only in California but also in San Francisco, has a similar working principle. Cameras equipped with machine learning in watchtowers can detect smoke and prevent any possible damage. These cameras can take advantage of government weather satellites and even weather posts on social media.
Microsoft is challenging forest fires with artificial intelligence with its project called ‘Terrafuse’.
In October 2017, wildfires wreaked havoc in Northern California, destroying not only 245,000 acres of land but also 8,900 buildings. Microsoft took action after this great destruction and implemented the ‘Terrafuse AI’ project, supported by ‘Microsoft Azure’ technology.
Terrafuse creates advanced fire risk models by combining historical fire data with real-time satellite observations. Anyone who wants to reduce the effects of wildfires has access to APIs and graphics.
OroraTech, a Germany-based startup, is joining the fight against forest fires.
Image: A satellite image taken to detect forest fires, OroraTech.
Artificial intelligence’s fight against forest fires is not only in the world. Mini satellites equipped with artificial intelligence algorithms that can detect fires are launched into low orbit with OroraTech. These satellites can receive thermal data from forests at night when drones are less frequent.
Using images from 19 satellites and multiple ground-based cameras, the company’s system can even detect wildfires in remote areas and then provide visuals of the area and the fire’s progression over time.
The Wildlife Conservation Society in Mozambique’s Niassa Private Reserve is currently using OroraTech’s system. Thanks to fire warnings, he prevented the burning of a base camp that was only 100 meters away from the fire.
Greece, Israel and South Korea are just a few of the states in global cooperation.
In the fight against forest fires, various governments combine their resources and participate in the fight together. The last forest fires in Greece caused great damage. After this fire, governments came together and started to use artificial intelligence to detect forest fires in advance.
At the same time, South Korean and US scientists started working on a hybrid method by combining weather data with yaoay intelligence to receive more accurate fire signals.
Canada’s telecommunications giant Rogers is taking steps to detect forest fires.
Image: Canadian telecommunications company Rogers’ artificial intelligence-supported cameras, Techcouver.
Canada also started a project for forest fire detection. Rogers, one of the telecommunication companies, supports these studies.
Canada’s leading telecommunications giant Rogers is using artificial intelligence-supported cameras against the increasing threat of forest fires. These cameras can detect smoke from forest fires up to 19 km away. Thanks to real-time alerts, authorities can prevent fires from spreading.
Google, one of the leading technology giants, can detect floods and forest fires in advance with its ‘FloodHub’ project.
Image: A Google project that can detect floods and forest fires, FloodHub, Google Blog
Google’s FloodHub tool, which operates in 20 countries, uses artificial intelligence to track floods and forest fires.
The vehicle started its pilot test run in India and was developed to serve people in flood-prone countries.
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