Australia’s vast expanse, well-developed infrastructure and robust regulations set the stage for a national industry to thrive. We have access to sovereign technology and capability that leads the world when it comes to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). However, while some industries like agriculture, and communities like surf lifesaving, are embracing drones’ endurance capabilities, many are slow to catch on.
This is most apparent within our emergency services. Despite the clear benefits, our firefighting services have not yet fully integrated drones into their operations. Considering Australia’s vulnerability to bushfires and extreme weather events, this should be a national priority.
Drones have the ability to revolutionise our firefighting responses by enhancing detection methods and keeping firefighters safer.
Imagine having real-time aerial intelligence during bushfire season, without risking human lives in manned surveillance aircraft. Drones can detect fires earlier, potentially curbing their size and severity.
Currently, light aircraft and helicopters cannot fly at night. It is a huge risk to pilots, particularly with thick smoke in the air, and therefore is prohibited. This means that fires are often left, unmonitored, to burn all night. There is often no information until the sun comes up and it’s often these blazes that grow into the mega-fires that we have seen during horror bushfire seasons.
Imagine too being able to lessen the environmental impact of these mega-fires. The Black Summer bushfires of 2019/2020 released 715 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the air1 – around 80% of Australia’s typical annual greenhouse gas emission. The impact of this level of carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere every year, especially with modelling showing the likelihood of increasingly severe bushfire seasons ahead, is horrific. Recent research shows the increasing number of extreme bushfires globally could exacerbate climate change.2 An ability to detect these bushfires earlier would be game changing.
We have all seen the terrible impact of mega-fires in Australia – the loss of life and property, the long-term health impacts. The devastation of lives that result from them. Catching these fires early and curbing them before they become unmanageable should be a top priority for governments at all levels.
While I can appreciate a level of apprehension that comes with the adoption of new technology in emergency services, the urgent need for a better way to manage bushfires makes this transition an absolute necessity.
The Australian environment (in terms of regulation, geography and economy) has given us what for our global neighbours just isn’t feasible: room for trial and error. Our abundance of biodiversity as well as usable land and airspace has allowed for frequent experimentation and innovative refinement. Opportunities for testing have meant that we could develop large-scale drone applications and see them used in a range of industries – from carbon mapping to infrastructure monitoring.
Although the industry globally has continued to grow rapidly, Australia has remained at the forefront of leading advancements. The most recent being Ninox Robotics’ collaboration with NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), deploying long-range drone technology to monitor grass, bush and forest fires in western NSW.
In the trial, Ninox Robotics used the Perimeter 8+ long-range multi-rotor drone. It can fly for up to four hours and travel up to 50km from the ground control system. It can be refuelled and airborne again in under 15 minutes.
In emergency services forward thinking is a non-negotiable to ensure crews are ready to hit the ground running should a situation arise. Especially for firefighters, the looming presence of climate change is potentially one of the biggest areas for consideration.
This ever-evolving threat means we need innovative approaches to traditional methods and drone technology offers just that. As experts point to the normalisation of black summer style conditions by 2040, it’s vital that a period of transition begins early. In anticipation of rising temperatures, we can look to other technologies like humidity monitors and satellite detection that have already begun implementation.
Utilising cameras and sensors, drone technology can offer a highly accurate and efficient detection system for early-stage fires. The potential of the technology to mobilise crews faster, stands to heavily reduce the financial and human toll of large-scale bushfires.
Despite the promising prospects, there are significant challenges impeding the widespread implementation of drone technology in emergency services in Australia. Insufficient government funding hampers the development, deployment and maintenance of drone systems, hindering their seamless integration into operational protocols. Despite Australia’s progressive drone regulation, additional approvals and bureaucratic hurdles remain, delaying the adoption of this transformative technology.
The prevailing strategy has been to evaluate missions based on declared risk assessments and mitigation strategies, paving the way for groundbreaking trials. However, this approach is resource-intensive and time-consuming, hampering widespread commercial integration due to unpredictable approval timelines and prohibitive for rapid-response missions. To facilitate progress, standardised conditions have been established for low-regulation missions, akin to visual flying rules. These missions typically occur in sparsely populated and low-traffic airspace. While such conditions are conducive to research and development, the true potential of drones lies in their ability to operate autonomously (‘beyond visual line of sight’ or BVLoS) and in airspace near peri-urban areas.
The next imperative is to streamline regulations for complex missions like those involved with bushfire surveillance, including those BVLoS, in shared airspace with conventional aviation. This entails standardisation and simplification to foster innovation and the centralised remote operation of multiple drones.
Australia stands poised to harness the full potential of drones in enhancing emergency response capabilities. By overcoming financial constraints, streamlining regulatory processes, and fostering collaboration between government agencies, industry stakeholders and technology innovators, Australia can lead the charge in leveraging drones for the greater good. The urgency of climate change and the escalating risks of natural disasters demand proactive measures, and drones represent a pivotal tool in safeguarding lives, mitigating environmental impact and bolstering resilience in the face of escalating challenges.
As a nation renowned for its ingenuity and resilience, Australia must embrace the transformative power of drone technology to protect its citizens and preserve its natural heritage for generations to come.
References
1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03712-y
2. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi8066
About the Author
Marcus Ehrlich
Marcus Ehrlich, Founder and Managing Director of Ninox Robotics, established the company in 2014. With a background in business, law and politics, he leverages his expertise to help navigate Ninox Robotics and its customers through complex regulatory and policy challenges in the emerging high-tech industry.
