PILOTS
Use Case 1 : Wildfire at the Wildland-Industrial Area Interface
- Pilot location: France.
- Supporting Partners : PUI, ROE.
Scenario:
A forest fire spreads near a highly explosive industrial facility, having three active fronts and moving towards the plant. With a large amount of smoke and a wind exceeding 70km/hour, the firefighters urgently need from the TRIFFID system a near-real-time semantic map of the afflicted area, where access paths, roads, temperature, dehydration of plants, speed and direction of the wind are identified. The reconnaissance takes place in two stages: first, the UAV flies above the disaster scene and collects as much
information as possible from an aerial overview. Second, the UGV accompanying the FR field crew is sent as an autonomous advanced reconnaissance unit, in order to obtain the desired information in finer detail. It is critical for the TRIFFID mission to be executed rapidly, before the fire approaches the industrial facility. The semantic map being dynamically created in near-real-time is available at the BoO, where the remote Operator can interact with it, but is also available to the FR crew via their smartphone app.
Expected Benefit: The FR team achieves better situational awareness in less time, with reduced exposure to hazards.
Use Case 2: Urban Flood
- Pilot location: Netherlands.
- Supporting Partners: GB, ROE.
Scenario:
An on-going dual challenge of urban flooding and a crisis at a chemical plant, caused by cooling systems compromised by the flood, is taking place. There is a danger of industrial spilling of hazardous gasses. During the first stage of TRIFFID deployment, the UAV surveys the flooded areas, identifying hazards such as submerged vehicles, collapsed structures, and downed power lines. It also detects citizens stranded in floodwaters and facilitates the recognition of the urgent situation at the chemical plant by identifying cooling water loss. The BoO relays relevant near-real-time updates and instructions to the FRs, through their smartphone app. During the second stage, the UGV accompanying a secondary FR field crew is sent to safely deliver supplies to the primary/advanced FR crew, including an emergency cooling system component, by exploiting the already acquired aerial area overview. Then, the primary FRs navigate the flooded areas to reach both the affected community and the chemical plant. During this phase, they periodically send the UGV for autonomous advanced reconnaissance, so that it detects in time the potential presence of spilled hazardous gasses and stranded citizens/victims. As they proceed, the FRs rescue victims and, finally, they restore the cooling systems using the supplies provided by the UGV. Throughout the second stage, the UAV is occasionally redeployed in a targeted manner to provide updates on emerging hazards.
Expected Benefit: FRs achieve reduced response times, improved coordination and
reduced exposure to hazards.
Use Case 3: Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) after Earthquake
- Pilot location: Greece.
- Supporting Partners: HFC, ROE.
Scenario: A FR team is deployed to execute an urban search and rescue operation, during the chaotic anddangerous aftermath of an earthquake. The FR field crew sends the TRIFFID UGV to semantically map a critical city area by navigating through the debris, selecting the safest and most efficient route while avoiding obstacles. Simultaneously, the UAV conducts autonomous aerial surveillance for identification of survivors and damage assessment, communicating and enabling mapping requests for a specific area. Critical objects such as injured individuals, fire, water sources and obstacles requiring removal are automatically identified. The semantic map dynamically created in near-real-time is available at the BoO, where the Operator can interact with it, but is also available to the FR crew via their smartphone app.
Expected Benefit: The FRs achieve better situational awareness in less time, with reduced exposure to hazards.
