ZUBAT

Project duration: 01/2025 – 12/2028

The ZUBAT project aims to improve the efficiency and response time of early forest fire detection through an advanced, wireless sensor network. The technological core of the project consists of opportunistic transmission technology and the integration of wake-up receivers. The project aims to achieve communication that is 500 times more energy-efficient than the state of the art – such as LoRa – whilst maintaining the highest level of reliability. Data on forest fires is continuously collected, transmitted wirelessly to a base station and analysed.

The scientific and technical objectives of the project include research into an opportunistic radio that enables reliable and energy-efficient data transmission. A wake-up receiver-based routing system to ensure efficient communication between the sensor nodes and the base station. The project also involves the use of innovative algorithms for the detection and prediction of forest fires.

The project aims to ensure the system’s reliability, minimise latency and improve the traceability of the sensor nodes. It will also investigate issues relating to the system’s reliability as a function of various parameters. The objective is to create a robust and effective early-warning system for forest fires.

Furthermore, tests, simulations and prototype development are being carried out as part of the project to evaluate the system’s performance and reliability. The project aims to lay the foundations for the development of standards and commercial products based on the findings and innovations of ZUBAT.

A key aspect of ZUBAT is the research into a new transmission technology specifically tailored to the requirements of a forest fire early warning system.

BMBF/VDI