Axis Communications collaborates with software company EYEFi to produce a solution to protect Melbourne Water from bushfires and lightning strikes.

Axis Communications has provided the project with thermal sensors and visual spectrum cameras to enable the geo-targeting of smoke plumes and lightning activity using EYEfi’s Sparc technology.

This allows the solution to accurately detect lightning strikes as well as pinpointing geographic location of a fire within 75 metres of the incident and over long distances.

The solution allows firefighting personnel to maintain 24/7 surveillance on a determined area without the need for staff to constantly man watch towers, and provides continuous reports and updates in real-time.

EYEfi also plans to release a fully autonomous software update later in 2021 that will provide real-time AI capabilities, negating the need for firefighters to maintain live 24/7 surveillance positions and at times of high fire danger, instead will provide updates and reporting digitally.

The Axis Q8742-LE bi-spectral visual/thermal camera is said to provide high-resolution imagery in all lighting conditions from pitch black to bright sunlight.

With PTZ functionality, Melbourne Water users are able to hone-in on areas of interest, detecting and geo-targeting potential trouble spots before they get out of control.

Axis Communications regional director Oceania Wai King Wong describes the collaboration as a “smart deployment, and one which demonstrates the many and varied uses of technology in the wider community.”

“There is so much scope these days for connected video and audio to be integrated with features such as geo-mapping and analytics, and people are only limited by their imagination or knowledge of what is possible,” he says.

“A system like this for example can save lives and critical infrastructure, while making life easier and more efficient for those involved,” he adds.

The EYEFi Spatial Video Platform, equipped with Sparc technology, is capable of geo-pointing and reverse geo-pointing, allowing users to pinpoint a specific area and geo-coordinates on a virtual map, and have the Axis cameras provide clear images in real time.

The visual spectrum cameras and thermal sensors with lightning detection enable bushfire teams to locate a fire or thermal heat anomaly over a wide area without the need for other frames of reference or triangulation.

“EYEfi has been working closely with Axis for several years, utilising Axis cameras across our range of products in the market. The combination of Axis camera technology with EYEfi’s spatial video smarts and cloud software, provides our customers with entirely new situational awareness and intelligence gathering capabilities,” notes EYEfi CEO and head of research and development Simon Langdon.

Melbourne Water Corporation is the statutory authority responsible for the management of Victoria’s largest and most critical water catchment.

As such, the body has direct responsibility for bushfire planning, management, and the identification of bushfires in and around the water catchment area.

This is performed by staffing a network of bushfire towers, which have now been successfully trialled using the EYEFi Sparc solution and Axis cameras.