An IoT use case this week focused on solving a critically important challenge – forest fires. More than 10 percent of the world’s forests suffer from a fire every year. Over the past several years, in the USA alone, we’ve seen devastating forest fires that caused catastrophic devastation to land, homes, and infrastructure. With the IoT, a new innovative solution may help reduce the severity of forest fires.
A Honduran startup called the Internet of Trees is creating an innovative IoT solution that focuses on forest-based sensors with real-time monitoring of temperature variations, smoke, and flames. With these fires, every minute left undetected matters a great deal. With current IoT-enabling technologies, like LPWANs, smart sensors and MCUs (microcontroller units), the company can detect and help reduce the time between the fire outbreak and the reaction of the firefighters.
Specifically, the solution involves installing an IoT endpoint in the forest to constantly monitor and detect fire, smoke, air humidity and temperature variations. The sensor connects to the Internet and to the company’s web application which will send an alert via SMS or email to the designated first-responders.
This is another excellent example of how the Internet of Things is transforming a traditional industry. In this use case, the IoT is solving a serious problem and assisting first responders to get ahead of natural disasters before they escalate into destructive forces.
