OSIRIS: A European Project using a High Altitude Platform for Forest Fire Monitoring

This paper describes how, within the framework of the European FP6 IST-5 project OSIRIS, a High Altitude Platform (HAP) will be used for the first time for surveying forest fires in the South of France. The HAP used will be the Mercator-1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that was acquired by the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) in Belgium. Mercator-1 is a solar aircraft that is able to remain for days at stratospheric altitudes (14 to 20 km) will be used as a platform for a high resolution camera (GSD of a few meters). The platform will be controlled directly by an operator at a mobile Ground Control Station (GCS) and it will execute pre-defined flight planning (way points), which can be updated during flight. This will allow the end-users to optimize the image acquisition patterns as a function of the fire evolution. Because of its low airspeed, the platform is able to hover above a small region. Unprocessed data (level 0) will be down linked in real-time to the GCS for further processing (up to level 3 if required). Decision makers and/or the commanding officer of the fire brigades will have rapid access to up-to-date information at the intervention place. Furthermore, by means of a satellite uplink, the imagery will also be forwarded to a Central Data Processing Centre which is plugged into the OSIRIS Sensor Web. During the OSIRIS demonstration activities the benefits of the Sensor Web concept with respect to faster and/or better decision making will be evaluated. The unmanned character of the platform does not put any pilots at risk and its long endurance allows the HAP to be used for the different phases of a disaster (from preparedness to recovery). Furthermore, the system provides high resolution combined with frequent image update.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9781845640682
• Corporate Authors:

  WIT Press

  Computational Mechanics, 25 Bridge Street
  Billerica, MA  United States  01821
• Authors:
  • Lewyckyj, N
  • Biesemans, J
  • Everaerts, J
• Conference:
  • The Second International Conference on Safety and Security Engineering
  • Date: 2007-6-25 to 2007-6-27
• Publication Date: 2007-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 205-213
• Monograph Title: Safety and Security Engineering II

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerial surveying; Disaster preparedness; Disasters and emergency operations; Drones; Fire; Fire detection systems; Fire fighting; Fire prevention; Real time information
• Uncontrolled Terms: Aerial vehicles; Fire protection
• Geographic Terms: Europe
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Highways; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01055645
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9781845640682
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 23 2007 3:10PM