Portable Traffic Management Tool for Wildfire Operations

A comprehensive UTM solution for wildfire operationsnbsp;is proposed based on real-time 3-D visualizations of wildfire management operations that include a common operating picture of participating actors,nbsp;the location and predicted propagation of the wildfire front, and dynamic airspace management capabilities for UAS operatorsnbsp;to define flight intent polygons and deconfliction volumes dynamically.The platform will retrieve imagery from multiple aircraft in a common tool, as well as atmospheric data.nbsp;Improving Aviation has developed a wildfire spread and ember spotting model that predicts near-term spread using the wildfire perimeter and in situ wind speed and direction information. The model will be integrated into the SkyTL platform to provide a predicted wildfire propagation perimeter and risk hotspots using in-situ atmospheric parameters.nbsp;The information on fire propagation and risk hotspots will be used for resource allocation, strategic deconfliction, and the definition of dynamic flight intent volumes. A 3-D real-time visualization includesnbsp;a real-time common operating picture, the wildfire perimeter,nbsp;and predicted progression. Deconfliction algorithms implemented in the platform check if the position of the UAS is within the boundaries of the flight intent polygon. Additional functionality will be developed that includes deconfliction algorithms to offer UAS operators an alternative flight intent polygon if two or more flight intent polygons intersect. An API will be used to share the collected in-situ data with external partners and applications in standardized open-source formats. Analysis and quality control processes will be implemented by assigning quality control parameters associated with each data field.nbsp;Enhancements to the SkyTL platform will be performed to enable implementation, scalability, and interoperability with current solutions.