Australian scientists are getting closer to detecting bushfires in record time, thanks to cube satellites with onboard AI now able to detect fires from space 500 times faster than traditional on-ground processing of imagery.
Australian scientists are getting closer to detecting bushfires in record time, thanks to cube satellites with onboard AI now able to detect fires from space 500 times faster than traditional on-ground processing of imagery.
Remote sensing and computer science researchers have overcome the limitations of processing and compressing large amounts of hyperspectral imagery on board the smaller, more cost-effective cube satellites before sending it to the ground for analysis, saving precious time and energy.
The breakthrough, using artificial intelligence, means that bushfires will be detected earlier from space, even before they take hold and generate large amounts of heat, allowing on ground crews to respond more quickly and prevent loss of life and property.
A project funded by the SmartSat CRC and led by the University of South Australia (UniSA) has used cutting-edge onboard AI technology to develop an energy-efficient early fire smoke detection system for South Australia’s first cube satellite, Kanyini.
Read more at University of South Australia
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