Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Forest Fire Monitoring Using Multiple Unmanned Air Vehicles, Timothy Mclain, Randal W. Beard, Ryan S. Holt, Joseph W. Egbert, Justin M. Bradley, Clark N. Taylor

Faculty Publications

The ability to gather and process information on the condition of forest fires is essential to fighting the fires in a cost-effective, safe, and efficient manner. While high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) are currently used for fire surveillance; they are an expensive and scarce resource. As a proposed alternative, low-altitude, short-endurance (LASE) UAVs offer lower costs, quicker response times, and high- resolution information. In recent years, advances in solid-state sensor and autopilot technology have made LASE UAVs a feasible alternative. This paper overviews a current research project conducted by Brigham Young University and NASA Ames. In the project, …