Research developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California is introducing artificial intelligence (AI) that “could collect data on temperatures, gases and other danger signals and guide a team of first responders safely through the flames.”

The system goes by the name AUDREY – the “Assistant for Understanding Data through Reasoning, Extraction, and sYnthesis.” (Say that three times fast!) It came about as part of the Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) program – a DHS initiative to “innovate new ways to keep firefighters, police, paramedics and other first responders safe in the field through increased awareness of their surroundings and communication abilities.”

As a firefighter moves through an environment, AUDREY could send alerts through a mobile device or head-mounted display. Mark James of JPL, lead scientist for the AUDREY project.

AUDREY isn’t just a personal sidekick to each firefighter. She can track entire teams and make recommendations to them. In addition, AUDREY can track the teams via GPS and monitor the conditions in other rooms, such as temperature or hazardous materials. She can even provide satellite imagery which is especially helpful to wildland firefighters.

When first responders are connected to all these sensors, the AUDREY agent becomes their guardian angel. Because of all this data the sensor sees, firefighters won’t run into the next room where the floor will collapse. Edward Chow, manager of JPL's Civil Program Office and program manager for AUDREY.

Just this past June, AUDREY was put to the test in a virtual demonstration in San Diego at the Public Safety Broadband Stakeholder Meeting held by the Department of Commerce. The system was given data points for a wide variety of sensors and was then asked to make recommendations on safety. According to Chow, the current plan is to test AUDREY in the field within a year.

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