Forestguard is a solution to help detecting forest fires in the first 15 minutes
ForestGuard is a sensor system that is able to detect forest fires in real-time through its IoT-based, satellite-connected system
Detecting forest fires within the first 15 minutes is key to prevent severe damage. Forestguar is a sensor system that is able to detect fires in real-time through its IoT-based, satellite-connected system. The devices are fixed on tree trunks through flexible, elastic straps that will not intervene with the tree’s growth. It is fixed at a height of 3 meters and can be placed every 16 hectares if you want an entire forest to be monitored. It also has a machine-learning algorithm that will be able to tell whether the smoke is from a vehicle’s exhaust, someone smoking a cigarette, or whether it’s an actual forest fire.
Inspiration
We’ve seen a lot of horrible forest fires that have destroyed homes, properties, and whole ecosystems in an area. We see such destruction just because someone did not put out a cigarette properly or through an accident or even through a natural phenomenon. If there were better wildfire detection systems in place then maybe the damage would have been lessened or even prevented. Forestguards is an award-winning sensor system hopes to solve that problem and help save forests from future wildfires.
How it works
ForestGuard 2.0 is an ultra-early, sensor-to-satellite wildfire detection system. The system alerts and allows first responders to intervene before the fire becomes uncontrollable. ForestGuard detects forest fires within the first 15 minutes and notifies authorities, functioning independently from established infrastructure with sensor-based readings, solar panel charging, and satellite connection. The ForestGuard devices are fixed on tree trunks at a height of 3 meters by using an elastic strap that does not hinder the tree growth. When one device is placed every 16 hectares, an entire forest can be continuously monitored. Through ForestGuard’s machine learning algorithm, it is possible to distinguish whether smoke detected in a forest originates from exhaust, a cigarette, or an actual forest fire.
Inspiration and developments
As a team of nature lovers, the designers of Forestguards were on the site of the 2021 wildfires in Turkey. One of their members aided S&R efforts from the air as a drone pilot, while others helped the locals. After returning home, they brainstormed about things they could improve in the fight against the wildfire. They focused on how to detect fires at an early, more manageable stage and developed their first prototypes using LoRa infrastructure and created a “WoodWideWeb” as a way for trees to tell there is a fire. During installments, they ran across application-related difficulties and shifted our attention to satellite communication; as a result, ForestGuard 2.0 was formed.
How it works
The ForestGuard works as a network in the forests by using sensor-to-satellite communication with the S-Band RF channel. The modules have sensitive, wide-spectrum sensors which can measure gas levels, temperature, humidity, and air pressure and also analyze the air for different scenarios. Our custom-designed boards are Edge AI-enabled, and use trained ML algorithms that differentiate wildfire smoke from other emissions, to prevent false positives, reducing unnecessary efforts. These sensor modules can be installed on tree trunks via flexible straps to allow the growth of trees. When any emergency occurs, sensor modules transmit the collected data to GeoStationary satellites, which then transfer this data to Earth and to our servers. If an emergency condition is verified on the server, it will inform the authorities and firefighters immediately to take action, reducing the reaction time to under 15 minutes.
How it is different from similar solutions
Forestguards is faster, cheaper, easy to install, does not require any infrastructure, and most importantly, it detects fire in the ultra-early, smoke stage. Compared to the traditional methods of wildfire detection (Cameras/UAV/Satellite) it is faster. Fire gets detected before gets bigger since it is measured under the tree canopy, where the fire initially starts. The latest algorithm allows Forestguard to predict wildfires even before they start, allowing firefighters to take further preventive actions. Latest tests show that ForestGuard modules can detect a fire from 150 m, within the first 10 minutes. Sensors directly connect to the satellite and this makes installation easier and foolproof. Even in a disaster scenario when GSM infrastructure collapses, Forestguard is unaffected by using S-Band satellite communication. It is cost-effective: only one module covers 16 hectares of forested area, with ForestGuard we could protect 500 trees for just one dollar, for a year.
Future developments and applications
Currently, there are over 250 active modules in Turkey, and new agreements on the way for a France Headquarters to expand to the EU market. Current Forestguard customers are energy distribution companies, forestry ministries, resort hotels, ESG, and insurance companies. The plan is to expand the reach to the industrial facilities in forested areas such as power plants, mining facilities, and also to private homes. The team behind Forestguard is working with governmental bodies to expand the infrastructure-free, disaster-proof sensor modules for other disaster preparedness use cases, such as earthquakes and floods.
Forestguard has been awarded with BIG BANG 2021, Most Awarded Start-Up Basaksehir Innovation Competition 2022, 3rd Place James Dyson Award 2022, Regional (Turkey) Second Sabancı ARF Innovation program 2023, and aknowledged by the What Design Can Do collective.
sources: WDCD I James Dyson Award
cover image: Forestguard
author: Barbara Marcotulli
Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition has been committed since nine editions to make innovation accessible and usable to all, with the aim of not leaving anyone behind. Its blog is always updated and full of opportunities and inspiration for makers, makers, startups, SMEs and all the curious ones who wish to enrich their knowledge and expand their business, in Italy and abroad.
Follow us, subscribe to our newsletter: we promise to let just the right content for you to reach your inbox
