Automated Vision System Locates Forest Fires

Automated Vision System Locates Forest Fires

24 June 2013

Portugal — The Forest Fire Finder is a forest fire detector and tracking system that sits on top of a tower and can autonomously detect a fire within five minutes after the fire has ignited. The system, developed in Lisbon, Portugal by NGNS Ingenious Solutions, was developed with the goal of detecting forest fires early in order to deploy fire crews sooner, therefore minimizing their impact.

To protect the 700 km2 of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, the Portuguese government chose the Forest Fire Finder. Thirteen of the systems were installed with optical remote sensors, weather stations and a thermal camera. In case of an alarm, the FFF system provides additional information to the control centers, such as the direction of the fire or exact location. If two systems detect the event, photos of the detected fire and meteorological data, are sent to a central server. From this server, the alerts to other devices are forwarded.

The optical sensor is an Avaspec-ULS2048 spectrometer from Avantes, which is installed next to a video camera, the weather station, a telescope, a processing/controlling unit and a communications unit. The way it works is that the telescope and the video camera perform a scan in a 360° angle every 11 minutes. It also scans at -45 up to 90° degree angles. With two systems working together, 5 minutes is the maximum time between a fires ignition and its detection, it also possesses the ability to detect fires up to 15km away.

Through chemical analysis of the atmosphere, the system can recognize organic smoke and distinguish it from other sources (factories, etc.) A sensor collects data on the temperature, humidity, wind direction and speed, and there it also has atmospheric pressure and rainfall sensors. A fibre connected to the telescope brings light to the spectrometer. Spectra collected from the spectrometer are processed and analysed. A video camera takes pictures in an established time interval and it is capable to send real time video as well. The camera is aligned with the telescope, ensuring that what is “seen” is what is analysed.

Triangulation

The system can work in manual or automatic mode. In automatic, when smoke is detected, an alert is sent by an SMS (text) message to one or several pre-selected mobile units. The message says that a fire has been detected and gives its location. This is accomplished through triangulation, with two Forest Fire Finders detecting the same fire. An image may also be sent along with the message. In manual mode, when a fire is detected, the control system issues an alarm. It will wait until the user verifies that there is a fire and the general position. Once the other tower detects the same fire, a triangulation is done and the user receives the exact location. The user can then decide to whom to send alerts, and will continue to track the fire.

The Indonesian environment ministry says these companies practice slash-and-burn methods. – See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/24/malaysian-owned-companies-source-of-forest-fires/#sthash.PWgwD01l.dpufJAKARTA: Preliminary investigations have singled out eight plantation companies owned by Malaysian investors as the source of forest fires in Riau that have caused Southeast Asias worst ever air pollution crisis.

The Jakarta Post reports the fires have started a diplomatic war of words between Indonesia, as the source of the problem, and Singapore and Malaysia, as the countries receiving the brunt of the smog.

Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya suggested on Saturday that the eight palm-oil companies were using illegal slash-and-burn methods as the cheapest way to clear land for cultivation.

The ministry is still gathering more evidence and verification in the field. The fires are, for sure, on their concessions, said Balthasar, in Riaus capital Pekanbaru.

I will immediately meet my Malaysian counterpart to inform him of the findings and seek ways to resolve the current issue and stop recurrence in the future, he said. The allegations will be followed up by Riau police.

The companies in question are PT Langgam Inti Hibrida, PT Bumi Reksa Nusa Sejati, PT Tunggal Mitra Plantation, PT Udaya Loh Denawi, PT Adei Plantation, PT Jatim Jaya Perkasa, PT Multi Gambut Industri, and PT Mustika Agro Lestari.

Tunggal Mitra is a unit of Minamas Plantation, subsidiary of Malaysia-based Sime Darby Plantations, while Adei Plantation is owned by Kepong Berhad. The Jakarta Posts emails for clarification to these companies have gone unanswered.

The Environment Ministrys deputy for environmental degradation and climate change, Arief Yuwono, said that under the environment law, the penalties for causing illegal forest fires are a maximum of 10 years in prison and fines of up to 5 billion rupiah (US$504,000).

Six other companies are also involved, but Balthasar refused to name them.

Plantation companies have often ordered local people to burn forest or peatland near their concessions, hoping that the fire will spread onto their land.

Once the fire takes hold of their concessions, the companies shift the blame onto the local residents as if the fire had accidentally and spread to their land, the minister said.

In the past week, smog from the fires has brought misery to Singapore and western part of Malaysia. Air quality in Singapore improved drastically after the Indonesian government declared a state of emergency in Riau, the source of most of the smoke.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) sent two helicopters for water bombing on Friday. Cassa and Hercules aircraft from the Air Force are ready for cloud seeding over the next month.

As the haze obscures visibility and provokes numerous coughing fits in Singapore, there has been a 22 percent increase in outbound flight searches this week, compared to the previous week, according to global travel search site Skyscanner. Bali, Bangkok and Hong Kong topped the searched destinations.

Chairman of the Indonesian Travel and Tour Companies Association (ASITA) Asnawi Bahar, however, said there had been no indication of a rise in the number of tourists from Singapore, or cancellations of visits by Indonesians to Singapore.

We have not seen any impact of haze. Demand from both inbound and outbound tourists between the two countries remain shealthy, said Asnawi.

But were going to have a meeting on June 28 to update and review the problem because if the haze continues in the next few months, it will severely impact the travel industry.

Around 1.5 million Indonesian visited Singapore every year, accounting for around 15 percent of total tourist arrivals in Singapore.

– See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/24/malaysian-owned-companies-source-of-forest-fires/#sthash.PWgwD01l.dpufJAKARTA: Preliminary investigations have singled out eight plantation companies owned by Malaysian investors as the source of forest fires in Riau that have caused Southeast Asias worst ever air pollution crisis.