EXTINCIA —officially titled «Sistema Avanzado de Extinción de Incendios Rurales mediante UAVs e Inteligencia Artificial» (Advanced Rural Firefighting System using UAVs and AI)— is a project dedicated to revolutionizing wildfire suppression in rural environments through cutting-edge technologies.
Specifically, the project addresses the challenges of fighting fires near populated areas. It overcomes the limitations of traditional aerial resources by utilizing coordinated UAVs, High-Performance Computing (HPC), advanced Artificial Intelligence, air traffic management systems (U-space), as well as radio communication and monitoring systems for the response crews.
Project Snapshot
Timeline
- Start: October 1, 2024
- End: December 31, 2025
- Duration: 15 months
Consortium
- Leader: CLUE TECHNOLOGIES
- Members: AEROMEDIA, BASTAN, DRONE HOPPER, TELESPAZIO, and HELION TECHNOLOGIES
- Subcontracted Technology Centres: CATEC, ITG, and TECNALIA
Project Objectives
EXTINCIA pursues the following technological objectives:
- Enable precise suppression of small wildfire hotspots near rural settlements or critical infrastructure using multi-rotor UAVs. The goal is to develop a solution that allows for highly precise extinction of specific fire points, leveraging the payload capacity and maneuverability of multi-rotor UAVs.
- Increase fire suppression efficacy through advanced Artificial Intelligence technologies. The aim is to significantly improve efficient fire management capabilities by integrating advanced guidance and control algorithms into the onboard computing platform.
- Enable effective coordination between UAVs and manned aircraft in firefighting operations. The project contributes to cooperation and shared airspace usage between UAVs and traditional aircraft, ensuring safe and efficient operations through the research and development of an air traffic management system.
- Significantly increase safety in firefighting operations. The goal is to drastically reduce the exposure of human teams to dangerous conditions by using UAVs for firebreak creation and suppression tasks in high-risk areas, as well as utilizing onboard communication and personnel monitoring systems. This minimizes the need for direct intervention in active fire zones and provides real-time data for safer decision-making.
Project Innovations
The innovative nature of the project is built upon the following technological pillars:
- Artificial Intelligence algorithms for guiding firefighting aircraft using realistic real-time simulations.
- High-Performance Computing (HPC) platform featuring an ionic wind thermal dissipation system.
- High operational versatility multi-rotor UAVs (vertical and horizontal discharge), enabling precise maneuvers and targeted discharges.
- Advanced radio communication and tracking systems for firefighting personnel, integrated onboard the UAVs.
- Service enabling VFR and unmanned operations within the same airspace.
Role of the Partners
CLUE
Within the project, Clue leads the research and development of a high-performance computing platform, resistant to high temperatures and featuring an ionized air cooling system. Additionally, Clue participates in the research and development of Artificial Intelligence algorithms for managing autonomous fire suppression maneuvers, which are emulated in a dedicated virtual simulator.
Clue’s objectives are:
- To advance knowledge in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms for autonomous fire suppression using UAVs.
- To significantly improve real-time simulation and visualization capabilities through the integration of tools such as Simulink and Unreal Engine, facilitating the evaluation and optimization of suppression strategies.
- To develop a high-performance embedded computing platform for UAVs that enables massive real-time data processing and supports autonomous firefighting operations.
AEROMEDIA
Aeromedia participates in the project through the research and development of a radio communication system, as well as a tracking and control system for the personnel involved in suppression operations.
Aeromedia’s objectives are:
- To advance the understanding of current radio communication systems used in wildfires to achieve their integration into UAVs, notably improving coverage or communication capacity during suppression processes.
- To substantially improve the tracking and control capability of intervening personnel through the use of beacons and their integration into UAV management software.
BASTAN
Bastan participates in EXTINCIA through the research, development, and laboratory validation of an innovative horizontal discharge wildfire suppression cannon.
Bastan’s objectives are:
- To enable precise suppression in wildfires near rural settlements to protect buildings, infrastructure, or people, using an innovative horizontal discharge wildfire suppression cannon (water and foaming agents) that is orientable while operating on board Helion’s multi-rotor UAV.
- To research and conduct laboratory tests and trials to evaluate the safety, efficiency, and efficacy of the onboard water projection system with foaming agent on Helion’s multi-rotor UAV in simulated fire situations up to TRL 4.
DRONE HOPPER
Drone Hopper’s role consists of the research, development, and laboratory validation of a firebreak and wildfire suppression system in rural environments near populations, based on a vertical discharge water mist multi-rotor UAV to protect localized areas, assets, and firefighting crews.
Drone Hopper’s objectives are:
- To enable precise suppression in wildfires near rural settlements to create firebreaks and protect localized areas.
- To increase safety as well as technical and operational efficiency in fire suppression, ensuring adequate payload capacity and endurance.
- To reduce the carbon footprint through research into an electric propulsion multi-rotor UAV, without the use of fossil fuels, contributing to the decarbonization of the aeronautical sector.
TELESPAZIO
Telespazio participates in EXTINCIA through the research of enabling technologies for unmanned flights within U-space, aiming to guarantee their coexistence with VFR aircraft.
Telespazio’s objectives are:
- To research Artificial Intelligence algorithms to make appropriate decisions in the event of identifying a non-correlation between telemetry and primary surveillance information.
- To enable VFR-UAS through the research of a system capable of managing the telemetry of both operations, alarm generation, and conflict detection and resolution.
- To significantly increase safety in firefighting operations through VFR-UAS enablement, allowing for the safe and efficient operation of both types of aviation.
HELION TECHNOLOGIES
Helion participates in EXTINCIA through the research, development, and laboratory validation of a wildfire suppression system in rural environments near populations, based on a highly efficient and effective multi-rotor drone for the protection of buildings, infrastructure, or people. This system consists of a horizontal discharge unit, which allows for point-attacking the element to be protected using a steerable cannon.
Helion Technologies’ objectives are:
- To enable precise suppression in rural areas to protect infrastructure and people through a UAV equipped with a horizontal discharge cannon (water or foam), developed by Bastan.
- To increase safety and operational efficiency using a multi-rotor UAV with optimized endurance and payload capacity to perform targeted protection interventions.
Funding
EXTINCIA has received funding from the Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI) through the 2024 call of the Science and Innovation Missions Program, within the Transfer and Collaboration Program of the 2024-2027 State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation, under the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
Funded by CDTI. Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
