The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has licensed its optical sensor technology for early fire detection and warning during a fire disaster, to a commercial partner, Autonosky.
Autonosky is a small, medium, and micro enterprise (SMME) based in the Western Cape. The SMME supports the Western Cape Fire Emergency Services with drone technology solutions for fighting fires. It has identified the CSIR’s K-line camera as a cost-effective surveillance solution to be integrated into its drone for early fire detection and warning, especially in hard-to-reach places. The K-line camera is more precise and timely than conventional cameras in measuring fire flame location and spread dynamics due to its small pixel size, high pixel sensitivity and fast pixel response, the CSIR said.
The CSIR’s K-line technology is an optical imaging system that uses remote sensing techniques to detect potassium light energy emitted from burning vegetation during the combustion phase of fires. Potassium, a chemical element with the periodic symbol K, is released as light energy from fires and can be easily isolated using silicon-based detectors with peak sensitivity within the near-infrared spectrum. This technique has proven valuable for developing compact, affordable remote sensing systems for ground and airborne fire detection.
The rise in global temperatures and associated climate changes has triggered an increase in the frequency and severity of wildfires worldwide. Addressing the wildfire problem demands innovative solutions to mitigate catastrophic fire damage, the CSIR said.
This includes integrating space satellite observation systems for global wildfire surveillance, fire monitoring systems for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used in tactical firefighting and ground-based systems on elevated platforms. The CSIR is developing space and UAV-based camera payloads for fire detection using the K-line sensor technology.
Under the exclusive technology licence agreement between the CSIR and Autonosky, the CSIR’s K-line payload technology will be integrated into Autonosky’s drone-based fire-fighting technology.
