Project Proposal and Plan

Title

Preventing Bushfires using Drones and Artificial Intelligence

Project Blog

https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/preventingbushfiresusingdrones/

Weekly Progress Reports Plan

Weekly Progress Reports will be uploaded to the Project Blog site at the conclusion of each week.

Weekly progress reports will use the template as shown below.

Rationale

Problem Domain

This research project will analyse the current and potential application of drones and artificial intelligence in the prevention of bushfires. The project will also assess the issues and challenges these technologies present to this domain as well as considering any ethical concerns. This project is limited in its scope to ensure the documented deliverables are completed in line with the project schedule.

Purpose and Justification

The bushfires which devastated many parts of Australia during the 2019/20 season led to the loss of human life, destroyed property, killed more than 1 billion animals, devastated vast amounts of land and emitted millions of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. With bushfire seasons estimated to become prolonged due to a changing climate there is an opportunity for technology to play an important role in reducing the negative human and environmental impacts of future bushfires.

Background Information

The presence of fuel, oxygen and an ignition source are the basic factors which determine whether a bushfire will occur. The intensity and speed at which a fire moves is dependent on temperature, fuel load, fuel moisture, wind speed and slope angle (Australian Government Geoscience Australia, n.d.). Innovative technologies, such as drones and artificial intelligence, could be used to detect and potentially prevent bushfires by assessing these factors in advance of a bushfire occurring.

Research Questions

The following key research questions will be addressed by this project:

  1. How are drones and artificial intelligence currently being applied in the prevention and detection of bushfires?
  2. What issues and challenges are present in the use of drones and artificial intelligence regarding bushfire prevention and detection?
  3. What innovative technology solutions are being developed to support firefighting efforts and fire prevention?
  4. As natural ecosystems have evolved with fire and numerous plants and animals depend on fire to regenerate, how far should technology be permitted to influence the behaviour of bushfires?

Methodology

Analysis of Sources of Information

The sources of information used to support this project and how these sources will be analysed is shown in the table below.

Source of Information Analysis
General internet sites Analysis of technological advancements in drone and artificial intelligence – specifically relating to their use in natural disaster scenarios
Government agencies Analysis of statistical data as well as information regarding the application of innovative technologies in the prevention and detection of bushfires
Charles Sturt University Library – Primo Search Analysis of theoretical concepts and peer reviewed research into the use of drones and artificial intelligence in the prevention and detection of bushfires and other natural disasters
Journal Databases Analysis of peer reviewed articles and other information such as conference papers to assess the challenges of using drones and artificial intelligence

Research Method

The research method which will be used throughout this project will follow Charles Sturt University’s Literature Search Cycle which is shown in the figure below (Charles Sturt University (n.d.).

Data Collection or Systems Design Methods

A journal containing the relevant data collected throughout this research project will be maintained in order to document search activities and keep track of search terms. The journal will include the names of the sources and the provider used to access the material. The journal will also include the search strategies used – including how the search was performed, which search terms and techniques were used and how search terms were combined to collect relevant data. Data collected throughout this research project will be handled securely. Relevant articles and documentation created will be saved into a secure location.

Ethical Issues: Research and Professional Ethics Statement

This research project will be conducted with consideration to several ethical elements. This project supports the care of the planet as it looks for ways to prevent and reduce the environmental impact of bushfires, in addition the project will also adopt low risk and low harm research behaviours to protect others and the project’s integrity.

The storage and analysis of data will be held securely. Respect for all intellectual property and publications used will be maintained throughout the project by accurately referencing all sources in line with the APA citation format and through the creation of an annotated bibliography. Plagiarism, collusion, contract cheating and other types of academic misconduct will be avoided by adhering to the university’s academic integrity policies.

Compliance Requirements

Two key compliance requirements influence this project as shown in the table below.

Requirement Description
Academic Integrity Prior to submitting project deliverables, a Turnitin originality report will be conducted to ensure appropriate citations have been used as well as a review of the overall originality score.
APA (7th ed.) citation format Where a citation is required, this project will follow the APA (7th ed.) citation format on all documented deliverables

Project Plan

Deliverables

The deliverables of this research project are described in the table below.

Deliverable Description Completion Date
A1 Task 1 Project Title and Abstract 24/07/2020
A2 Project Proposal and Plan 10/08/2020
A3 Task 1 Annotated Bibliography 14/09/2020
A3 Task 2 Journal Synopsis 14/09/2020
A4 Task 1 Final Report 06/10/2020
A4 Task 2 Oral Presentation 06/10/2020
A1 Task 2 Weekly Progress Reports 06/20/2020

Work Breakdown Structure

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) shown below outlines the specific task components of this research project.

Risk Analysis

A structured approach to identifying, rating and treating risks will be incorporated into this project plan. The risk matrix below classifies how risks will be rated based on their likelihood and consequence.

Duration

This research project will be undertaken over a period of 12 weeks from 13th July 2020 to 6th October 2020.

Gantt Chart

The Gantt Chart presented below describes the four phases of the research project: Initiation, Planning, Research and Documentation, and Closeout. Milestones have been defined which are aligned to the due dates of assessment items. Tasks highlighted in red show the project’s critical path.

References