Wireless Sensor Networks for Fire Fighting and Fire Investigation

1
Wireless Sensor Networks for Fire Fighting and
Fire Investigation

• CS526 Semester Project
• Spring 2006
• Sarah A. Summers

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Firefighters Motivation

• FIRES KILL !

http//www.usfa.fema.gov/download.jsp?url/downloa
ds/media/tree24012056k1.rm
3
Firefighters Motivation

• What you have just seen is just the early stages
  of a fire (45 seconds).
• On average the fire department arrives at 61 of
  structural fires within 6 minutes.
• By that stage the fire may have spread
  extensively.
• The exact location of the fire will probably be
  unknown.
• The extent of the fire will probably be unknown.
• Result the fire fighters are entering the scene
  almost blind.

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Fire Investigators MotivationBest Case Scenario
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Fire Investigators MotivationWorst Case Scenario
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Goals

• Determine how wireless sensor networks can help.
• Assess the current position of wireless sensor
  networks for fire detection and firefighting
  applications in buildings.
• Assess the challenges faced by fire
  detecting/tracking WSN.
• Assess the requirements for a pre-deployed fire
  detecting/tracking wireless sensor network.
• Consider the deployment scheme for sensors.

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How Can Wireless Sensor Networks Help?

• Provide information about the location of the
  fire.
• Provide information about the extent of spread of
  the fire where it is spreading and how quickly.
• Temperature/Smoke at various locations with the
  structure.

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Current WSN for Fire Detection/ Tracking in
Buildings

• FIRE - Fire Information and Rescue Equipment
• Siren - Context-aware Computing for
  Firefighting

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FIRE - Fire Information and Rescue Equipment

• SmokeNet pre-deployed WSN detects fire.
• FireEye firefighter head mounted display unit.
• eICS visual display showing resource
  allocation, personnel location and firefighter
  biometrics

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SIREN - Context-aware Computing for Firefighting

• Tacit communication among firefighters using WiFi
  enabled PDA with a built in mote.
• The mote in the PDA collects data from motes
  which are pre-deployed in the building to inform
  the firefighter of hazards and immediate danger.
  
• Pre-deployed motes also serve as location beacons
  allows firefighter to navigate through the
  building.
• Each PDA connects to the PDAs of other
  firefighters in a peering mode.

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Challenges

• Motes must detect an event without too many false
  alarms.
• Transmit information rapidly location and event
  information smoke, temperature rise or both.
• Reorganize rapidly when one or more mote goes
  down.
• Incident Commander must be able to link into the
  WSN.
• Provide Incident Commander with a visual display
  of the scene.

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Types of Sensors

• Temperature Sensors detection and tracking
• Smoke Detectors- detection
• Infrared Detectors tracking
• Accelerometers detection of structural collapse

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Fire Data

• Temperature changes in a simulated fire in a two
  storey family home.

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Summary of Temperature Data
Time (seconds) Ceiling Temperature Rise Floor Temperature Rise
5 121C (218F) 1C (2F)
20 187C (337F) 3C (5F)
137 673C (1212F) 318C (547F)
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Deployment of Temperature Sensors

• Flaming fire results in rapid changes in
  temperature close to the ceiling.
• Temperature changes closer to the floor are less
  rapid.
• Deploy an array of sensors extending from ceiling
  level downwards.
• Ceiling level sensors will be destroyed early but
  lower sensors should be able to continue passing
  data.

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Smoke Detectors

• Ionization smoke detectors best suited for
  detecting flaming fires.
• Photoelectric smoke detectors best suited for
  detecting smoldering fires.
• Since temperature sensors will detect flaming
  fires with rapid temperature changes, it would be
  best to use photoelectric smoke detectors to
  ensure rapid detection of smoldering fires.

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Firefighters And Wireless Sensor Networks
(FAWSNet)

• WSN comprised of pre-deployed temperature and
  smoke sensors.
• Internet connection to the Fire Department.
• Graphical User Interface for use by the Incident
  Commander which connects directly to the wireless
  sensor network.

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Example FAWSNet Deployment
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Example Deployment Cross Section of Room
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Required Algorithms

• Sentry algorithm to conserve mote power.
• Temperature event algorithm.
• Smoke event algorithm.

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FAWSNet Operation
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FAWSNet Operation
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Future Work

• Viability of sensing motes mote protection
• TinyViz Simulation
• Graphical User Interface
• WSN Security
• Additional Sensors
• Physical Testing of Implementation

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Conclusions

• Wireless sensor networks have the potential to
  provide valuable information to firefighters and
  fire investigators.
• There is still a lot of research to be done and a
  lot of issues remain to be resolved, but the fact
  remains that the provision of any additional
  information to firefighters that enhances safety
  must be beneficial.

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References

• Overview of Sensor Networks, D. Culler, D. Estrin
  and M. Srivastava, Computer, Vol. 37, Issue No.
  8, August 2004, pp. 41 49, http//csdl2.computer
  .org/comp/mags/co/2004/08/r8041.pdf
• Sensor Network Operation, http//www.intel.com/res
  earch/exploratory/sensornetwork_operation.htm
• Intel Motes and Wireless Sensor Networks,
  http//www.intel.com/research/downloads/SNOverview
  CD.pdf
• Sensor Nets/ RFID, http//www.intel.com/research/e
  xploratory/instrument_world.htm
• Crossbow Technology Inc. Data Sheet,
  http//www.xbow.com/Products/Product_pdf_files/Wir
  eless_pdf/MICA2_Datasheet.pdf
• Sensor Based Efficient Multi-Floor Location
  Tracking, D. Sinha, Masters Thesis, University of
  Colorado at Colorado Springs. http//cs.uccs.edu/
  gsc/pub/master/dsinha/doc/DEVJANI_PROJECT_REPORT.d
  oc
• Wireless Sensor Networks, pt 1 Introduction,
  Eliana Stavrou http//webhosting.devshed.com/c/a/W
  eb-Hosting-Articles/Wireless-Sensor-Networks-pt-1-
  Introduction/

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References (continued)

• TOSSIM A Simulator for TinyOS Networks, P. Levis
  and N. Lee, September 17, 2003,
  http//www.cs.berkeley.edu/pal/pubs/nido.pdf
• Design of Monocular Head-Mounted Displays for
  Increased Indoor Firefighting Safety and
  Efficiency, J. Wilson, D. Steingart, R. Romero,
  J. Reynolds, E. Mellers, A. Redfern, L. Lim, W.
  Watts, C. Patton, J. Baker and P. Wright,
  Proceedings of SPIE -- Volume 5800, Helmet- and
  Head-Mounted Displays X Technologies and
  Applications, May 2005, pp. 103-114,
  http//bmi.berkeley.edu/fire/SPIEpaperFinal.pdf
• Augmented Cognition for Fire Emergency Response
  An Iterative User Study, D. Steingart, J. Wilson,
  A. Redfern, P. Wright, R. Romero and L. Lim,
  Proceedings of the 1st International Conference
  on Augmented Cognition, Las Vegas, NV, 22-27 July
  2005, http//bmi.berkeley.edu/our_lab/images/AugCo
  gFinal.pdf
• Siren Context-aware Computing for Firefighting,
  X. Jiang, N. Y. Chen, J. I. Hong, K. Wang, L.
  Takayama and J. A. Landay, Proceedings of Second
  International Conference on Pervasive Computing
  (Pervasive 2004)., Vienna, Austria, April 18 -
  April 23, 2004, http//dub.washington.edu/projects
  /siren/pubs/pervasive2004-siren-final.pdf
• Ubiquitous Computing for Firefighters Field
  Studies and Prototypes of Large Displays for
  Incident Command, X. Jiang, J. I. Hong, L. A.
  Takayama and J. A. Landay, CHI Letters (Human
  Factors in Computing Systems CHI 2004). ,
  Vienna, Austria, April 24 - 29, 2004,
  http//dub.washington.edu/projects/siren/pubs/CHI2
  004-firefighters-final.pdf

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References (continued)

• Full-Scale House Fire Experiment for InterFIRE
  VR, Report of Test, A.D. Putorti Jr and J.
  McElroy, November 2, 1999, Revised April 10,
  2000, http//www.interfire.org/features/fire_exper
  iment.asp
• System Smoke Detectors, http//www.systemsensor.co
  m/html/guides/A05-1003.pdf
• Application of Wireless Sensor Mote for Building
  Risk Monitoring, N. Kurata, B. F. Spencer, Jr,
  and M. Ruiz-Sandoval, http//www.unl.im.dendai.ac.
  jp/INSS2004/INSS2004_papers/PosterPresentations/P8
  .pdf, (2003)
• On Random Event Detection with Wireless Sensor
  Networks, P. K. Dutta, Masters Thesis, Ohio State
  University, 2004, http//www.cs.berkeley.edu/prab
  al/pubs/masters/dutta04masters.pdf
• Energy-Efficient Surveillance System Using
  Wireless Sensor Networks, T. He, S.
  Krishnamurthy, J. A Stankovic, T. Abdelzaher, L.
  Luo, R. Stoleru, T. Yan, L. Gu, J. Hui and B.
  Krogh, MobiSYS 04, June 6 -9, 2004, Boston, MA,
  http//www.cs.virginia.edu/papers/tracking-mobisy
  s04.pdf

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Temperature Event Triggering Algorithm

• 1. If temperature sensing mote detects
  temperature increase gt 10C in 5 seconds then
  fire ignited, trigger alarm.
• 2. If alarm triggered, determine closest
  neighboring sensors (temperature and smoke) and
  send them a wake up call.
• 3. Send location of detecting mote and detected
  condition to controller.
• 4. Draw mote detecting fire on GUI as red
  circle.

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Temperature Event Triggering Algorithm (continued)

• 5. If a neighboring mote detects temperature
  rise gt 10C but less than 50C and alarm has
  already triggered, draw motes as an amber square
  to indicate heat associated with fire.
• 6. Send location of mote and event to
  controller.
• 7. If a neighboring mote detects temperature
  rise gt 70C and alarm has already triggered,
  draw motes as an amber circle to indicate fire
  spreading.
• 8. Send location of mote and event to
  controller.

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Smoke Event Triggering Algorithm

• 1. If smoke detected for time gt 30 seconds then
  fire ignited, trigger alarm.
• 2. If alarm triggered, determine closest
  neighboring sensors (smoke and temperature) and
  send them a wake up call.
• 3. Send location of detecting mote and detected
  condition to controller.
• 4. Draw mote detecting fire on GUI as red
  square.

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Smoke Event Triggering Algorithm (continued)

• 5. If a neighboring mote detects smoke and alarm
  has already triggered, and nearest temperature
  sensors have not been triggered draw smoke
  detector as an amber square to indicate smoke in
  that area.
• 6. Send location of mote and event to
  controller.