Firenet
For my masters level individual project, I designed a fully sustainable wireless sensor network to combat forest fires.
I gained inspiration to conduct this project after watching the destruction caused by the wildfires in California throughout 2018. Harrowing footage of millions of acres of land being scorched, and worrying figures of rapidly climbing CO2 levels forced me to think about how it could all be avoided.
Fits right in.
Firenet goes in the ground next to a tree. There, it’s able to collect all relevant atmospheric data, as well as assess the ground and tree’s moisture content. It operates remotely, automatically, and can report on conditions as often as required.
Watch closely.
Firenet knows where a fire is, was, and will be. Research conducted on the presently available Scottish Fire and Rescue Service apparatus, and their current procedures surrounding wildfires allowed for the development of a software mock-up.
Wind Vane
Solar Panel
Sensors
Anemometer
Housing
Don’t just take my word for it…
“Such a product would prove to be of substantial operational and tactical advantage to any firefighter involved in dealing with such incidents…”
— Watch Commander - Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
“This would allow rapid assessment of ongoing conditions, and assisting in decision making processes.”
— Watch Commander - Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
“A significant tactical planning tool.”
— Officer - Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Design for sustainability was the driver for almost all major design decisions within the project. The theme itself dictated this: reducing the harmful environmental impact of forest fires. Resultant features include: device self-sustainability, limited power usage from mostly passive/capacitive sensors, entirely recyclable and re-manufacturable materials and components (respectively). Additionally, a “twisting mechanism” allows easy replacement of internal components.
The “Twisting Mechanism”
Access to the internal components is crucial after a fire. It’s likely that most of them are recoverable, so it would be a waste to recycle them. It also makes it easy to repair a device on-site.
