F.I.R.E.N.E.T: The Life-Saving Mission

Inspiration 🎯

We were inspired by the growing threat of wildfires like the recent Maui and California fires. Quick, informed decision-making during evacuations is critical, and the need for a reliable, real-time system became evident. Thus, F.I.R.E.N.E.T was born.

What We Learned 📚

IoT Integration: Learned how to create a mesh network with Arduinos and Raspberry Pi.
Real-time Processing: Grasped the complexities of processing large volumes of data in real-time.
Community Focus: Understood the importance of crowd-sourced information and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.
Map APIs: Worked with 3D maps and Google Maps API to create a more interactive experience.
Mentorship: Received excellent mentorship from Marcus van Kempen, enriching our project significantly. We thank everyone at Hack MIT for making our hardware project possible.

How We Built It 🛠️

Data Collection: Used Arduinos to simulate sensor data for wildfire detection.
Communication: Implemented MQTT protocol to enable communication between devices.
Backend: Hosted a Flask web server on a Raspberry Pi.
Frontend: Created 3D maps using Three.js and implemented dynamic routing algorithms.

Challenges We Faced 🚧

Data Reliability: Ensuring the reliability of sensor data in a simulated environment.
Real-time Processing: Dealing with the computational limitations of Raspberry Pi for real-time data processing.
Device Communication: Faced challenges in getting the Arduino and Raspberry Pi to communicate effectively.
User Experience: Striking a balance between comprehensive data and a user-friendly interface.
Commercialization & Scalability: As a hackathon project, scaling this to a commercial product presents challenges like ensuring consistent long-range communication, energy efficiency, and disaster-proofing the technology.

Future Scope & Commercialization 🚀

LoRa for Longer-Range: Integration with LoRa technology for more extensive and reliable communication.
Solar Power: Use solar panels and batteries to power Arduino devices for sustainability.
Peer-to-Peer WiFi: Leverage peer-to-peer WiFi networks for communication when mobile data or cell service is down.
Disaster Recovery: Develop a protocol for emergency response through the LoRa network, enabling constant communication in challenging conditions.