UAV Wildfire Evacuation Guidance Without Wireless Dependence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to provide effective evacuation support for individuals trapped in wildfires, particularly those without wireless electronic devices, due to disrupted communication and difficulty in perceiving the extent and development of the wildfire.
Innovation Solution
A computer system utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) equipped with sensors and guidance systems to gather data on the wildfire, determine evacuation paths, and guide individuals to safety, either through visual or audible cues, without relying on personal electronic devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless electronic devices are used for evacuation guidance, then individuals can receive real-time navigation instructions, but communication may be disrupted within or around the wildfire making the system unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of aerial vehicles and ground-based sensors that do not rely on wireless communication infrastructure. These intermediaries directly observe the wildfire environment and compute evacuation paths, serving as a mediator between the wildfire conditions and evacuation guidance delivery, thereby bypassing the communication disruption problem entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electronic/wireless communication system with a mechanical/optical observation and computation system. Aerial vehicles with sensors physically traverse the environment to gather data, and onboard or ground-based computers process this data to generate evacuation paths, substituting the failed wireless electronic infrastructure with a self-contained mechanical-computational system.
2Ease of operation
If individuals rely on personal electronic devices for evacuation information, then they can access navigation data, but individuals without such devices would be unable to get proper evacuation support
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a passive guidance system where evacuation information is actively delivered to individuals through environmental markers and physical cues rather than requiring individuals to actively seek or process electronic information. The system serves itself by creating a self-evident evacuation path that any individual can follow regardless of their technological literacy or device ownership.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal evacuation guidance system that serves all individuals regardless of their personal equipment. The aerial vehicles and environmental markers provide information in a format accessible to everyone - visual, auditory, or physical cues that do not require electronic devices, making the system universally applicable to all evacuees.
3Adaptability or versatility
If evacuation paths are planned statically, then route determination is simpler, but the system cannot adapt to changing wildfire conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic path planning where evacuation routes are continuously updated based on real-time wildfire observations. The system transitions from static pre-planned routes to dynamically computed paths that adapt as the wildfire evolves, with aerial vehicles repeatedly gathering updated environmental data and recalculating optimal evacuation trajectories.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a feedback loop where the system continuously observes wildfire conditions through sensors, compares current conditions against the planned evacuation path, and adjusts the route accordingly. This closed-loop control enables the system to respond to changing conditions by incorporating real-time feedback into path recalculations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A computer system in included in a system for providing wildfire evacuation support. The computer system operates to obtain (402) sensor data that represents a wildfire in a target region from a UAV which is deployed within the target region, obtain (403) a current location of an individual in a hazardous situation in the target region, and obtain (404) a desired destination for the individual in the target region. Based on the sensor data, the computer device identifies (405) one or more danger zones that pose a fire-related threat to the individual, and determines (406) at least one evacuation path that extends from the current location to the desired destination while avoiding the one or more danger zones. The computer system may be located the UAV or on a central computer resource in communication with the UAV.