The key for a successful management of crisis situations lies in a scenario depending near-real-time data acquisition and processing procedure to generate a role based common operational picture which enables to support time critical decision processes. In the project AIRWATCH a flexible multi-sensor airborne acquisition and management system, which can support manifold application scenarios with security context will be developed in a close co-operation with national and regional disaster protection and first responder organizations as well the Austrian military.
The AIRWATCH system can permanently support prevention, reconnaissance and application activities (like tactical measures, situational awareness, permanent monitoring, or timely evacuations) as well as disaster evaluation, documentation and reporting based on the following system characteristics:
§ Flexible multi-sensor system for recording optical, thermal and infrared image data
§ Near real-time data availability using a high-performance data downlink technology
§ Near real-time generation of current geo-referenced images and derived information products
§ Role and scenario based management solution which permits the coordination of the data acquisition, the management of the processing tasks, the data distribution and archiving
The flexible multi-sensor system, the processing capacity, the management functionalities and the versatile data downlink capabilities will enable to generate a current common operational picture to support management processes in disaster situation. Furthermore, an important factor is the modular concept of the a multi-sensor platform which enables an fast integration into different airplanes (Pilatus Porter PC 6, DA42 MPP, Cessna)
Real assignments of the system in the field of disaster protection showed the system's capability. During the Danube flood in June 2013 the multi-sensor platform was integrated in a Pilatus Porter PC 6 of the Austrian federal army and the data processing was done in the operation centre of Lower Austria in Tulln to deliver acquired and processed data directly to the management teams. In total more than 7.000 optical and thermal images were processed in this real test scenario within the AIRWATCH project.
Project leader
DI Alexander Almer
JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH
DIGITAL – Institut für Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien
Project partner
Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH
BMLVS - Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung und Sport
Technische Universität Graz - Institut für Kommunikationsnetze und Satellitenkommunikation
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz - Institut für Soziologie – Medizinsoziologie/Katastrophenforschung
IFR - Sicherheitsfachkraft & Krisenmanagement Training
Cooperation partner
Amt der Niederösterreichischen Landesregierung (Bedarfsträger)
Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung (Bedarfsträger)
Contact
DI Alexander Almer JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH
DIGITAL – Institut für Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien
Steyrergasse 17; A-8010 Graz
Tel.: +043 316 876 1738
Mobile: +043 699 1876 1738
Fax: +043 316 876 1720 E-Fax: +043 316 876 9 1738
E-Mail: alexander.almer@joanneum.at
Internet: http://www.joanneum.at