Early Fire Detection Drones can Detect Smoldering Embers in Forests

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Fraunhofer-Institut für Zuverlässigkeit und Mikrointegration IZM

GGB Heilbronn GmbH

The autonomous drone is designed to provide information about hot spots before the fire department arrives, thereby making the emergency services' work considerably easier.

In the EU-funded project PROACTIF and under the coordination of Nokia, 42 European partners from research and industry are working on a new multi-sensor system specifically designed for drones. Under the leadership of Fraunhofer IZM, the German consortium is developing an innovative multi-sensor module for automatic heat detection on drones, combining radar and infrared technology in a compact unit. By merging short- and long-range radar with three innovative packaging technologies, a lightweight and robust system is created that enables precise situational awareness even beneath the forest canopy, ensuring reliable detection of smouldering hotspots during forest fires.

Forest fires have now become one of the major challenges for fire brigades and civil defence even in Central Europe. A critical issue is the search for and extinguishing of smouldering hotspots in the undergrowth. Conventional drones quickly reach their limits here: they are too large and heavy to fly through dense vegetation. Thermal imaging cameras are often not sensitive enough to provide reliable data on concealed sources of fire. Currently, firefighters often have to locate smouldering hotspots manually with a spade, some of which lie up to 1.5 metres (approx. 5 ft) deep.

The German consortium in the PROACTIF project is developing a new solution: a multi-sensor module that combines radar and infrared sensing for the first time in an ultralight and compact unit weighing under three kilograms. Heimann Sensor GmbH supplies the infrared sensors, while researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM, together with InnoSenT GmbH, develop the novel radar sensor technology and integrate the infrared sensor into the system. By combining short-range and long-range radar with ranges of 80 and 200 metres (approx. 262 and 656 ft) respectively, the newly developed drone can automatically detect obstacles in its immediate surroundings, survey large forest areas with a 360-degree view, and—for the first time—fly beneath the canopy at speeds of up to 30 km/h (approx. 18 mph), while the infrared sensor identifies the smouldering hotspots.

Three Packaging Technologies for Optimal Implementation

Fraunhofer IZM’s unique expertise enables the combination of three key technologies from advanced packaging:

• LTCC technology (Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramic) enables high-performance high-frequency antennas and stable signal processing even at high temperatures.
• Moulding technology allows three-dimensional shaping of antenna structures and minimises signal losses, which is crucial for the long-range radar.
• Embedding technology integrates the short-range sensors space-efficiently into flexible materials, reducing weight and size.

Project manager and scientist at Fraunhofer IZM, Dr.-Ing. Christian Tschoban, summarises: “Only through the interaction of LTCC, moulding, and embedding technologies is it possible to combine short- and long-range radar with infrared sensors in an ultracompact module. The result is a so-called multi-sensor package, a lightweight sensor unit that combines high resolution, robustness, and energy efficiency.”

Field Demonstration in German Forests

The multi-sensor module will soon be tested in Germany in a practice-oriented scenario. In close coordination with the forestry office and fire brigade, researchers will test the use of the drones in Münsterland and near Wiesenburg (both located in Germany). During the simulated fire, special attention will be paid to ensuring that it takes place outside dry periods and to protecting birdlife. The drones are intended to fly autonomously through the forested area, detecting obstacles and smouldering hotspots in real time. In the long term, the drones are expected to automatically take off upon receiving a forest fire alert and, even before emergency crews arrive, generate an accurate situational picture and provide information on how many responders are actually needed.

Beyond this, the technology opens up opportunities for search and rescue operations or the monitoring of critical infrastructures. With around 25 percent of the entire PROACTIF consortium, the German partners are making a decisive contribution to making autonomous systems in Europe more powerful and safer.

The PROACTIF project runs from 01 June 2025 to 30 April 2028 and is funded under the Chips Joint Undertaking (HORIZON-JU-Chips-2024-1-IA-T1) with a total of €41.8 million (approx. 48.7 million USD), including €2.02 million (approx. 2.36 million USD) from the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space Travel (BMFTR), €320,000 (approx. 372,000 USD) from the Free State of Saxony, and €90,000 (approx. 105,000 USD) from the Free State of Thuringia. The project, which involves 42 European institutions—including five from Germany—is part of Germany’s strategy for securing technological sovereignty in quantum research. Its overarching goal is to significantly enhance Europe’s competitiveness in technology for unmanned missions and to increase the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of autonomous monitoring of critical infrastructures.