Capacitor Crunch team: John Kim, Yushen Chang, Shane Kirkley, Kalae Miller, Andrew Kahn, Eric Daugherty
The Firefighting Advanced Asset Communication and Tracking System (FAACTS) is a communication and asset tracking solution designed to assist wildland firefighters in the field. FAACTS is composed of two distinct systems - a ruggedized, satellite communication enabled tablet that provides valuable situational data to firefighters, and disposable GPS transmitters known as drop balls that can mark important locations to be seen by crew members using the tablet. FAACTS is designed to facilitate communication, coordination, and situational awareness in large, remote areas where wildfires occur.
FAACTS is developed by Capacitor Crunch, a team of six senior electrical engineering students that have experience in power systems, RF systems design, software engineering, and embedded systems design. The members of Capacitor Crunch are Yu-Shen Chang, Eric Daugherty, Andrew Khan, John Kim, Shane Kirkley, and Kalae Miller. Funding for FAACTS is provided by RoGo LLC, a Colorado-based company focused on improving the communication capabilities of wildland firefighters in remote, hostile environments.
Currently, wildland firefighters use VHF radios and paper maps to communicate and coordinate their location in the field. Communication has been limited to radio because cellular service is often unavailable in the remote areas where wildfires occur. FAACTS primary focus is on improving and facilitating remote communication and tracking for wildland firefighters. There is currently no technology on the market that provides firefighters with location tracking and communication over satellite. This product will replace the out-of-date L-band radios and paper maps used by firefighters. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection designates iOS as the sole operating system approved for use on computer systems for firefighters, therefor FAACTS is designed to work with iPad tablets. FAACTS interfaces with proven emergency response software provided by Rhodium Incident Management. This software allows all firefighters to view the same map, with the same important locations, all updated in real-time, thus eliminating potential confusion from the use of old paper maps.
The drop ball is a portable, tennis ball sized beacon that sends out valuable data to tablets. When a firefighter places a drop ball, they can designate the type of position they are marking with the use of a single button. A fixed directional indicator on the drop ball can be used to communicate vector information. If necessary, further information can be assigned to a drop ball from the tablet with an NFC tag. This allows for special circumstances to be easily marked on the map, such as a slurry drop, supplies, or an injured firefighter. Drop balls are meant to last up to 20 hours depending on the frequency of location updates, and the device is designed to be disposable. The location of the drop ball is accurate to within 10 feet. Firefighters often carry large amounts of equipment, so the FAACTS tablet and drop balls are designed to be lightweight, durable, and easy to carry.
Firefighters will benefit from this product because it will enhance their ability to communicate and track resources, squad member, high value structures and the injured. Firefighters can now coordinate the fight against wildfires with real time data updates using satellite communication. Such coordination is critical for the efficiency of firefighter operations and the safety of firefighting teams.