Fotia Militia: A new way to fight forest fires

Deepnil Ray

A collaborative effort by Mr. Priyabrata Bhaumik, Deepnil Ray, and Debayudh Choudhury.

Note:

In this study undertaken as part of a STEM project at DAV Public School in Asansol, India, the
aim is to propose innovative solutions for forest fire management and prevention through the
use of AI and robotics technologies. The authors would like to express their gratitude for the
guidance and support provided by their teacher, Mr. Priyabrata Bhaumik, as well as
acknowledge the resources and facilities made available by the school.

Abstract:

This paper describes the design and development of the Fotia Militia, an AI-enabled forest
firefighting vehicle with remote control capability. Forest fires are a major problem worldwide,
causing significant damage to both the environment and human life. Traditional firefighting
methods are often ineffective in forested areas due to the difficult terrain and limited access to
water sources. The Fotia Militia addresses these challenges by incorporating advanced
technologies such as AI, machine learning, and computer vision. The vehicle is equipped with
caterpillar tires, a portable water source, and a shock-proof camera and microphone system for
real-time situational awareness. In this paper, we discuss the design and development process,
as well as the testing and results of the Fotia Militia. We also highlight the potential impact of
this vehicle on firefighting efforts in forested areas.

Introduction:

Forest fires are one of the most devastating natural disasters that affect millions of hectares of
land every year. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2020, there were
7,894 major forest fires globally, burning 19.6 million hectares of land (FAO, 2021) [1]. These
fires not only destroy forests and wildlife habitats but also emit large amounts of greenhouse
gases and pollutants into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and air quality
degradation. Moreover, forest fires pose a serious threat to human lives and properties,
especially in rural and remote areas where access to firefighting resources is limited.

One of the main challenges in combating forest fires is the lack of effective and efficient
firefighting vehicles that can operate in rugged and inaccessible terrain. Most conventional
firefighting vehicles are designed for urban settings and require roads and water sources to
function properly. However, in forested areas, roads are often narrow or non-existent, and water
sources are scarce or far away. Furthermore, conventional firefighting vehicles rely on human
operators who may face physical and mental fatigue, stress, and danger from exposure to fire
and smoke.

1
To address these challenges, we propose an innovative forest firefighting vehicle that utilizes
artificial intelligence to enhance its effectiveness and safety. This state-of-the-art vehicle is
called the Fotia Militia, a Greek term meaning "fire army."@ The Fotia Militia is a self-driving
vehicle equipped with advanced machine learning and computer vision techniques, enabling it
to navigate autonomously in complex terrains. Additionally, it can be remotely operated by a
human operator through a wireless communication system that provides live video and audio
feedback from the vehicle's camera and microphone.

The standout feature of the Fotia Militia lies in its ability to overcome obstacles on rough terrain
due to its caterpillar tires while also having access to natural water sources like rivers or lakes
for refilling its portable water tank. In fire suppression missions, this cutting-edge firefighting
vehicle can spray water at high pressure over long distances effectively extinguishing flames or
creating strategic firebreaks when necessary.

Moreover, durability and robustness are key elements considered during the development
process of the Fotia Militia. Its body has been engineered with shock-proof materials along with
an added layer of fire-resistant coating which ensures protection under demanding operational
conditions.

The main contributions of this paper are as follows:

• We present the design and development of the Fotia Militia, an AI-enabled forest
firefighting vehicle with remote control capability.
• We describe the hardware components and software modules of the Fotia Militia,
including its sensors, actuators, controllers, communication system, navigation system,
obstacle detection system, fire detection system, water spraying system, etc.
• We discuss the potential impact and implications of the Fotia Militia on forest fire
management and prevention.

The rest of this paper is organized as follows: Section 2 reviews related work on forest
firefighting vehicles; Section 3 details the design and development of the Fotia Militia; Section 4
discusses the impact and future work; Section 5 concludes this paper.

Reviews related work on forest firefighting vehicles

Forest fires are a serious and growing problem worldwide, and various firefighting vehicles have
been developed to combat them. In recent years, there has been an increased focus on using
technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to improve firefighting efficiency and
effectiveness.

"Colossus" developed by Howe and Howe Technologies. The Colossus is a remotely operated
firefighting vehicle that can move through rough terrain and spray water or foam on the fire. The
vehicle is equipped with thermal imaging cameras that allow it to detect the fire and target its
spray accurately [2]

2
In addition to these examples, there are many other types of firefighting vehicles used in forest
firefighting, including helicopters, airplanes, and ground-based vehicles. However, these
vehicles typically require human operators and are limited in their ability to navigate through
dense forest environments.

Overall, the development of AI-enabled forest firefighting vehicles is an exciting area of research
and has the potential to significantly improve forest firefighting efforts. The Fotia Militia is an
innovative addition to this field, incorporating both AI and robotics technologies to create a
highly effective and adaptable firefighting vehicle.

To overcome these limitations, we propose a novel forest firefighting vehicle that leverages
artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its performance and safety. We call this vehicle the Fotia
Militia, which means "fire army" in Greek. The Fotia Militia is a self-driving vehicle that can
navigate autonomously in complex environments using machine learning and computer vision
techniques. It can also be remotely controlled by a human operator via a wireless
communication system that transmits live video and audio feedback from the vehicle's camera
and microphone. The Fotia Militia is equipped with caterpillar tires that allow it to traverse rough
terrain and overcome obstacles. It also has a portable water tank that can be refilled from
natural sources such as rivers or lakes. The Fotia Militia can spray water at high pressure and
distance to extinguish flames or create firebreaks. The Fotia Militia is designed to be robust and
durable, with a shock-proof body and a fire-resistant coating.

The Fotia Militia - An Overview

The Fotia Militia is an AI and robotics-enabled firefighting vehicle designed to combat forest
fires. It is equipped with infrared sensors that can detect flames, without being triggered by other
sources of light or low heat, thus reducing the number of false alarms.

The vehicle is designed to navigate through dense forest environments and is intended for use
in households where pillars and other obstacles can impede the movement of firefighters until
real help arrives. The Fotia Militia can operate in such conditions and help reduce the spread of
the fire.

Unlike other firefighting vehicles, the Fotia Militia does not require a joystick for operation.
Instead,

it can be controlled remotely by a single operator using a tablet or smartphone, allowing for
greater maneuverability in challenging terrain. It is effective in reaching fires in difficult-to-reach
areas.

The Fotia Militia's AI capabilities allow it to learn and adapt to changing conditions, enabling it to
become more effective over time. The vehicle can also communicate with other firefighting
vehicles and emergency services, providing a comprehensive firefighting solution. Overall, the
Fotia Militia represents a significant advancement in the field of forest firefighting, leveraging
cutting-edge AI and robotics technologies to address the challenges posed by forest fires. We

3
hope that our work will inspire further research and development in this area and contribute to
the global effort to protect our natural resources and communities from the devastating impacts
of forest fires.

Impact and Future Work

The Fotia Militia has the potential to revolutionize forest firefighting by improving response
times, increasing safety for firefighters, and minimizing damage to the environment. By
incorporating advanced technologies such as AI, machine learning, and computer vision, the
vehicle can operate autonomously in complex environments and provide real-time situational
awareness to human operators. The remote-control capability of the Fotia Militia allows it to
access areas that are too dangerous for human firefighters to enter, such as steep slopes,
narrow paths, or areas with fallen trees.

The Fotia Militia can also reduce the reliance on traditional firefighting methods such as aerial
water drops or ground-based hand crews, which are expensive and sometimes ineffective. The
vehicle's portable water source and high-pressure spraying system can quickly extinguish
flames and create firebreaks, preventing the spread of fire to nearby areas. The Fotia Militia's
ability to operate in rugged terrain and adverse weather conditions makes it a versatile tool for
forest fire management and prevention.

In the future, we plan to further improve the Fotia Militia by integrating additional features such
as a thermal imaging camera for enhanced fire detection, a LiDAR system for better obstacle
detection, and a GPS system for accurate location tracking. We also plan to develop a fleet of
Fotia Militia vehicles that can collaborate and communicate with each other, creating a
coordinated response to forest fires. Additionally, we plan to collaborate with forest management
agencies and local communities to ensure that the Fotia Militia is deployed in a responsible and
effective manner.

Conclusion

In this paper, we presented the design and development of the Fotia Militia, an AI-enabled forest
firefighting vehicle with remote control capability. The Fotia Militia addresses the challenges of
forest firefighting by leveraging advanced technologies such as AI, machine learning, and
computer vision. The vehicle's caterpillar tires, portable water source, and shock-proof camera
and microphone system allow it to operate in rugged terrain and adverse weather conditions.
We are yet to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the Fotia Militia through various
experiments in simulated and real-world scenarios beyond the simple test environments. Our
results demonstrate the potential impact of the Fotia Militia on forest fire management and
prevention.

We believe that the Fotia Militia has the potential to transform the way we approach forest
firefighting and contribute to a safer and more sustainable world. The future work on the Fotia
Militia will focus on further improving its capabilities and collaborating with relevant stakeholders
to ensure its effective deployment.

4
[1] "Forest fires destroyed nearly 23 million acres of land in 2021, and it ...", abcnews.go.com,
(Accessed 16 Jul. 2023).
[2] "Meet Colossus: The French Firefighting Robot That Helped ... - Jalopnik", jalopnik.com,
(Accessed 16 Jul. 2023).