PyGame Simulation Model for Assessing Drone Swarm Utilization in Wildfire Suppression

• Ryan Guilherme Morais Nascimento UFC
• André Alves De Freitas UFC
• Antonio Cesar De Andrade UNICAMP
• Marcelo Martins Da Silva UFC
• Thiago Werlley Bandeira Silva UFC

Resumo

This paper presents a computational simulation focused on wildfire suppression through the use of drone swarms. The aim was to simulate the operational efficiency of the swarm in extinguishing fires in scenarios influenced by environmental factors such as wind and topography. Hansen’s method was employed to estimate the number of drones required. The A* algorithm was used for navigation, and a cell matrix-based model was implemented for fire propagation. A series of 30 tests were conducted on a device, where initial fire hotspots were generated at random points in an area of 10,000 m2, with drone deployment occurring 30 seconds after the fire started. Wind was simulated with random directions and speeds ranging from 10 to 30 km/h, mimicking different environmental conditions. Each test saved data on fire duration, burned area, number of drones, and wind variables. The results indicated that the use of drones reduced the fire duration by an average of 33% compared to fires without drones, as well as decreasing the burned area by approximately 2,167 m2. The drone simulation showed a significant reduction in fire suppression time, with duration ranging from 38 to 43 minutes, compared to 57 to 65 minutes without drones, and the burned area ranged from 7,742 m2 to 8,101 m2, compared to 9,442 m2 to 10,000 m2 without drones.

Palavras-chave: Wildfires, Navigation, Computational modeling, Surfaces, Distance measurement, Environmental factors, Robots, Drones, Wildfire Suppression, Drone Swarm, Simulation, Robotics, Fire Propagation Modeling, A* Algorithm