My project seeks to answer the question “Is it possible to develop a low-cost autonomous quadcopter capable of detecting a fire’s smoke plumes and thermal hotspots in real time using a lightweight, edge AI?” I believe that it is possible to develop an affordable autonomous quadcopter to detect fire’s smoke plumes and thermal hotspots using embedded AI. I first will conduct internet research for a literature review. I will then be building UAV prototypes to cover the use case stated above. I will experiment during prescribed burns that I have been invited to through the Terra Fuego Resource Foundation, and alter my prototypes according to my observations. By the end of my research, I will have concluded whether it’s possible to develop an affordable autonomous quadcopter capable of detecting a fire’s smoke plumes and thermal hotspots in real time using a lightweight, embedded AI. I will do this by either doing it myself with my prototypes, or using the observations I gather through my experiments with my prototypes to make an informed decision.
My final product should be a UAV prototype. It will reflect my effort in testing if my research question can be answered. I will be building the UAV no matter what. If I have successfully built the UAV or see a clear path to building it that others can follow, the UAV will provide a positive response to my research question. If I can’t do this, the UAV will provide a negative response to my research question.