Two Monte Vista High Students build a Wildfire Sensor

Using artificial intelligence and their own smarts, two Cupertino teens are working on identifying and predicting areas in a forest that are ripe for wildfires, with the hopes of providing early warnings to fire agencies. The Smart Wildfire Sensor device by the Monta Vista High School seniors has gotten the attention of Google, and the students have submitted it to Cal Fire for review.

The device uses a camera to take photos in a forest — the students often went to Rancho San Antonio nearby, and sometimes Big Basin Redwood State Park, Sanjana said. Using Google’s TensorFlow machine-learning system, which can process a massive amount of images, the device can then determine the moisture content of the dead fuel — consisting of dead branches and fallen leaves — in a forest. If the moisture content is low, that forest is susceptible to wildfire. The device would then use a wide area network connection to contact fire authorities, the students said



Credits:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/11/15/silicon-valley-teens-create-smart-wildfire-sensor-get-googles-attention/