The £22.4 million National Robotarium facility officially opened on September 28.

The National Robotarium and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have conducted trials on a helmet that incorporates AI technology to help firefighters quickly map their surroundings, navigate hazardous environments and efficiently locate fire-scene victims. The announcement of the innovative helmet came simultaneously with the opening of the National Robotarium on September 28. (Heriot Watt University)

Researchers at the National Robotarium center for robotics and AI, hosted by Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, developed the helmet with funding from the Scottish Informatics and Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) and the Scottish Funding Council’s SFC Saltire scheme, as well as funding from the University of Edinburgh.

Pioneering new helmet technology

The researchers mounted thermal cameras, radar and inertial sensors on a standard-issue firefighting helmet and relayed their feeds to an AI system that provided the wearer of the helmet with real-time information that can help detect victims, recognise teammates and provide an accurate understanding of their own location.

Affordable, off-the-shelf components

Dr Chris Lu, Lecturer in Cyber-Physical Systems in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh who is leading the project, said:

“Firefighters often operate in environments with very low or no visibility due to the vast amount of smoke released from a fire. This can make detecting the location of potential victims and whereabouts of firefighters very challenging in situations that are often extremely time-sensitive.

“This new technology has the potential to support on-the-ground firefighters and scene commanders to make crucial in-the-moment decisions that can enhance search rescue efficiency, ensure safer collaboration between teammates and, most importantly, improve outcomes for potential victims of fire scenes.

“Our entire sensor rig weighs less than a kilogram and is composed of affordable, off-the-shelf components that can be easily retrofitted to existing standard-issue firefighting helmets. This means it has the potential to be an incredibly efficient and accessible resource to fire and rescue teams in Scotland, the UK and beyond once fully developed.”

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