This article is from my alter ego where I think and write about technology. Sometimes we read news and wonder “why isn’t somebody doing something about this?” Well, there are engineers and entrepreneurs around the globe working to solve big problems. I thought for a change that I would share something optimistic about solving problems.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the XPrize—a prize offered for teams solving audacious problems. While I was communicating with my editors in Italy for my monthly column (News from America) at Automazione Oggi (Automation Today), one asked about solutions to the problem of wildfire spread. Zoning law changes and some common sense clearing of brush would help. But the huge scope of these phenomena begs a huge solution.
Peter Diamandis, the driving force behind the XPrize, recently wrote about a project now two years into a four-year challenge on just this problem of wildfires. Wildfires are not only a California problem. Climate changes across the globe make this a world-wide problem.
The original announcement:
XPRIZE, the world’s leader in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions to solve humanity’s grand challenges, today launched XPRIZE Wildfire, a 4-year global competition that will award $11 million prize funding to teams able to develop and demonstrate fully-autonomous capabilities to detect and extinguish wildfires.
Around the world, the severity of Extreme Wildfire Events (EWEs) is increasing, driving over 80% of fire-related damages globally and costing an approximate $350 billion in damages annually in the United States alone. EWEs spread at a faster rate and burn larger areas at higher intensities, wreak havoc on ecosystems, cause long-term global economic burdens, and often result in devastating injuries and loss of life. Despite these high environmental and economic costs, fire management technologies have not evolved significantly in decades and best practices have not changed in almost a century.
Diamandis observes:
“We have been fighting wildfires the same way for decades – it’s not working, and the destruction is getting increasingly worse. We need a radical re-invention of how we detect and battle these blazes,” said Peter H. Diamandis, Executive Chairman of the Board, XPRIZE. “The convergence of exponential technologies such as AI, robotics, drones, and sensors offer us the opportunity to detect wildfires at inception, and put them out in minutes before they spread – that’s the mission of this XPRIZE.”
XPRIZE Wildfire will incentivize teams from around the world to innovate across a wide range of technologies in two complementary tracks designed to transform how fires are detected, managed, and fought.
- In the Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence track, teams will have one minute to accurately detect all fires across a landscape larger than entire states or countries, and 10 minutes to precisely characterize and report data with the least false positives to fire managers on the ground.
- In the Autonomous Wildfire Response track, teams will need to monitor at least 1,000 km2, and autonomously suppress a wildfire within 10 minutes of detection.
- The $1M Lockheed Martin Accurate Detection Intelligence Bonus Prizewill be awarded for innovations in accurate and precise detection of wildfires.
“The reality is that we are unprepared to effectively combat the growing number of wildfires and their severity around the globe,” said Peter Houlihan, EVP, Biodiversity and Conservation, XPRIZE. “As the effects of climate change worsen, more and more communities will be at risk as dangerous wildfires increase in frequency and devastation. Thanks to the generous contributions of our sponsors and partners, XPRIZE Wildfire will accelerate innovation in detection and rapid response that will transform wildfire management practices and save lives.”
What problems are you working on solutions? Being an engineer isn’t a requirement. Creative thinking is. Perhaps the problem is local–how to help people in need of a service or requiring help or support through a tough time. Maybe it’s building a house with Habitat for Humanity. Who knows what good we can do?
Gary Mintchell
Faith Venture 