MOMENTUM - April 2024 - 27

TODAY'S ENGINEERING
recent episode of SAE's Tomorrow Today
podcast. " So, allowing the tactical incident
commander to basically launch a swarm of
completely autonomous drones to identify,
map, and eventually communicate what's
happening around them first. "
The data these drones collect are used to
map the perimeter of a fire, overlay locations of
firefighting crews and equipment, and
ultimately contain the blaze by creating
boundaries. The maps themselves provide a
clear, simple, real-time graphic representation
which can be shared via Wi-Fi, cellular, and
satellite communications. According to Brian
Fennessy, fire chief of the Orange County Fire
Authority, " In Southern California, we've seen
firsthand the kind of imagery and data that
Data Blanket can provide our teams. Nothing
comes close to the level of accuracy and speed.
This should be how drones are used, allowing
us true joint air operations in the near future. "
By giving tactical commanders and first
responders an " autonomous air force in their
back pocket, " Bar-Yohay believes wildfires can
be better managed and, eventually, snuffed
out-a noble goal, for reasons that extend
beyond the immediate destruction of nature
and property.
" Wildfires alone account for roughly 5% of
global emissions, " Bar-Yohay shared. By
comparison, the entire aviation industry
represents about 2.5% of global emissions
each year.
" We've built what we call a synthetic pilot.
It's not an autopilot, " he explained. " It
doesn't fly the pattern you want it or react to
traffic. It's a synthetic pilot in the sense that
it's an AI non-deterministic system that sees
what's happening around it, understands a
situation, or receives information about a
situation, and then makes decisions about
what's the right next step to do based on a
few parameters and grades. "
The system Data Blanket uses today
covers over 28 square miles, a notinsignificant
area in terms of spatial
computing. These AI-powered drones rely on
thermal cameras, microphones, and other
hyper-spectral analysis tools to track fire,
smoke, and people, and create maps which
can be used by human firefighters.
" So we're actually creating two very
separate AI systems, " Bar-Yohay said. " One is
responsible for the airspace and the assets
flying... and the other is just a very capable
computer vision system that allows you to
Listen to the full podcast episode featuring Omer Bar-Yohay here.
understand what you're seeing. "
Bar-Yohay himself spent a decade in the military before transitioning into
private tech. " If there is one thing that was burning in the bones of myself and
other people who were involved at Data Blanket from day one is that a lot of
the stuff that we're used to thinking about as technology and special
operations-modus operandi, concept of operations-is not done enough with
wildfire suppression and with firefighting. "
In 2022, he received SAE International's inaugural Sustainable Aviation
Award for his other venture, Eviation, the company that created the world's
first all-electric commuter aircraft. He's also president of AutoFlight, which
reported flying the longest eVTOL flight in history at a distance of 155 miles
(250 km) on a single battery charge in 2023. Bar-Yohay collaboratively and
openly leads the way for new alliances in performance matrices and
certification paths through his involvement in GAMA and the different
standards committees that created a new path to certify electric planes. He's
also highly regarded across industry for his significant contributions to
sustainability and eVTOL aircraft technology.
For those who seek meaning in their professional lives, he offered this
advice: " There is a lot happening in engineering. There is a lot happening in
science... and there is a shift to solving real-world, painful problems. And you
know what? Find that thing-it doesn't matter if you're a college graduate, or
in high school, or an entrepreneur, or a veteran CEO in whatever. If you can find
that thing that you just can't drop, and it solves something significant, please
do it. Now is the time.
" Find the thing you can't let go and just pursue it. " n
By Gretchen Uhrinek, Editor.
MOMENTUM
April 2024 27
SAE International

https://www.sae.org/podcasts/tomorrow-today/episodes/fighting-wildfires-with-ai-powered-drones https://www.sae.org/podcasts/tomorrow-today/episodes/fighting-wildfires-with-ai-powered-drones https://www.sae.org/podcasts/tomorrow-today/episodes/fighting-wildfires-with-ai-powered-drones https://www.sae.org/participate/awards/sae-international-sustainable-aviation-award-honoring-ramesh-agarwal https://www.sae.org/participate/awards/sae-international-sustainable-aviation-award-honoring-ramesh-agarwal

MOMENTUM - April 2024

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