The FireSense Mission

FireSense is a modular sensing system designed to aid firefighters by establishing real-time operational awareness during structural fires. Each payload uses thermal cameras and radar to Simultaneously Localize And Map (SLAM) the interior of a smoke-filled room when human visibility is zero. All payloads communicate their SLAM data and thermal visuals to the command station outside, where the data is fitted together to form a real-time map of the interior with Points of Interest (PoI), heatmaps, and current positions.

Unlike traditional robotic solutions that rely on independent platforms, this project uses a modular approach. FireSense 1.0 is a singular unit, mountable on any ground platform or carried by firefighters. FireSense 2.0 seeks to further miniaturize the payload into two modules, separating the sensors from the battery and computation core to make sensor placement more versatile. This will make it more useful when carried by firefighters, who are the most effective ground platform available. The split design will allow the system to integrate into existing firefighter workflows. By mounting this device on firefighters, localization allows the incident commander to always know their position, improving decision making when every second counts.