Project Description
The goal is to research a drone-based firefighting support system for fire department turntable ladder operations, based on a cooperative, semi-automated approach. The need for this system stems from multiple documented cases in which firefighting operations conducted from the turntable ladder’s basket were imprecise and therefore ineffective.
As a potential solution, the UMDenken Consortium is pursuing drone-based monitoring to support firefighting efforts. The drone acts as a freely positionable “eye” in the space for the turntable ladder, and its sensor data enables the precise 3D localization of the fire’s origin. The research challenges involve navigating the drone autonomously near obstacles while exposed to smoke and water vapor; determining the position of the fire source from various, changing perspectives and under adverse environmental conditions; modeling the firefighting jet; and enabling precise, semi-autonomous guidance—even under zero visibility conditions within the turntable ladder basket. Detecting the water jet in drone images, combined with sensor data from the fire monitor and the turntable ladder, makes it possible—despite environmental factors such as wind—to predict the range and point of impact of the jet and, in the next step, to proactively steer it. By automating the drone and the turntable ladder’s water cannon, the system’s operation is simplified for real-world use, making it easily accessible for practical application.
Cooperation/Project Partners
- Dortmund Fire Department
- University of Bonn, Institute for Computer Science VI – Autonomous Intelligent Systems
- Dortmund University of Applied Sciences, Institute for the Digitalization of Work and Living Environments
- Magirus GmbH
- Werl Fire Department
Funding
Funding Code
13N16810