According to a statement, the exercise involved “smoke and fire simulation test”, carried out at a National and Kapodistrian University of Athens premises in a forested area of the city. Start-up PROBOTEK was also involved.
The test leveraged sensors connected by Huawei, in order to prompt the deployment of automated drones. The statement continued: “Based on video footage transmitted by the drone, coupled with meteorological and geomorphological data, AI analysis was able to identify fire and smoke events in real time.
“The emergency response system comprises an AI-based command centre, networked to 5G-connected drones and sensors that detect particles in the air, CO2, temperature, wind direction and speed. [It] was developed under Huawei’s TECH4ALL initiative.”
The system is designed to predict the path of the fire and the time it would take to reach inhabited areas, as well as to send information about emergency evacuation routes to residents’ phones. Its first phase, which was introduced in 2022 in Athens' Syggrou Estate, leveraged drones and AI but did not include fire spread analysis and evacuation planning.
Huawei CEO, Southeast European Region, Ren Fujun, said: "For the past 20 years, Huawei has introduced leading technologies to Greece, believing in the power of innovation to protect the environment, preserve biodiversity, and ensure the safety of citizens and their property.”
