Development of hardware and software complex for monitoring fires by unmanned aerial vehicles
Authors: Извозчикова Вера Васильевна , Шардаков Владимир Михайлович , Запорожко Вероника Вячеславовна 
Published: August 2021

Рассматривается вопрос обнаружения пожара с помощью беспилотного летательного аппарата (БПЛА) и разработанного программного обеспечения. Для раннего обнаружения пожара в нефтяных и газовых скважинах предложен алгоритм, основанный на применении цветовой модели RGB к полученным видеоизображениям от квадрокоптера. Приведены требования к БПЛА, смоделирован прототип программно-аппаратного комплекса дистанционного динамического мониторинга, включающего бортовую систему обработки информации БПЛА и информационную систему. Результаты проведенных экспериментов показали способность предложенного алгоритма успешно обнаруживать пожары на местности. Созданный программно-аппаратный комплекс позволит оперативно разрабатывать и принимать наиболее оптимальные решения по направлению пожарных расчетов и пожарной техники к местам возгорания, что особо актуально для отдаленных районов
The paper addresses the problem of fire detection that is based on information obtained by an unmanned aerial vehicle. The purpose of this work is the possibility of early detection of ignition in oil and gas wells. An algorithm for fire detection based on the application of the RGB color model to the obtained video images of the studied area is proposed. The algorithm is based on the methods of spatial image segmentation and color quantization. According to the presented algorithm, a quadcopter transmits the incoming image from the digital video camera to the terminal, scanning the monitoring zone and GPS coordinates set by the operator. The algorithm for detecting the fire source is divided into four stages: analysis of the color intensity on the frame; checking the color of the area specified by the operator for coincidence with the range of fire; determining the fire coverage area in a certain territory and analyzing the change in the shape of the fire center relative to the angle of the moving unmanned aerial vehicle; determining the direction of fire propagation. Accurate automated determination of coordinates is carried out using the GPS signal of the fire, which allows starting localization and eliminating the fire source in a timely manner, thereby preventing a negative impact on people, nature and wildlife, as well as reducing the damage caused by the fire. A prototype of a software and hardware complex for remote dynamic monitoring, including an on-board information processing system for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and an information system, has been modelled. The paper presents the requirements for unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as analysis for the cost of the quadcopter’s flight time. The results of the experiments have shown the ability of the algorithm proposed by the authors to successfully detect the source of a fire on the ground. The created software and hardware complex allows quickly developing and making the most optimal decisions on the direction of fire crews and fire equipment to the fire sites, which is especially important for remote areas