Forest Fire Detection Using Artificial Neural Network Algorithm Implemented in Wireless Sensor Networks

Yongsheng Liu，Yansong Yang，Chang Liu，and Yu Gu

（1.Network Technology Research Institute，China United Network Communications Corporation Limited，Beijing 100048，China；2.Department of Computer Science，Hefei University of Technology，Hefei 230009，China）

Forest Fire Detection Using Artificial Neural Network Algorithm Implemented in Wireless Sensor Networks

Yongsheng Liu1，Yansong Yang1，Chang Liu1，and Yu Gu2

（1.Network Technology Research Institute，China United Network Communications Corporation Limited，Beijing 100048，China；2.Department of Computer Science，Hefei University of Technology，Hefei 230009，China）

A forest fire is a severe threat to forest resources and human life.In this paper，we propose a forest⁃fire detection system that has an artificial neural network algorithm implemented in a wireless sensor network（WSN）.The proposed detection system mitigates the threat of forest fires by provide accurate fire alarm with low maintenance cost.The accuracy is increased by the novel multi⁃criteria detection，referred to as an alarm decision depends on multiple attributes of a forest fire.The multi⁃criteria detection is im⁃plemented by the artificial neural network algorithm.Meanwhile，we have developed a prototype of the proposed system consisting of the solar batter module，the fire detection module and the user interface module.

forest fire detection；artificial neural network；wireless sensor network

1 Introduction

Wireless sensor networks（WSNs）have been the focus of research over the past few years be⁃cause of their potential in environmental moni⁃toring，target tracking，and object detection［1］.WSNs have also been studied in the context of detecting forest fires，which threaten forest resources and human life. WSNs are not costly and can detect forest fires in real time，un⁃like current detection methods based on human observation and unlike spot weather forecasts or even satellite monitoring. WSNs can also provide information about environmental condi⁃tions within the forest，which is useful for predicting forest fires［2］.Moreover，forest fire detection and prediction is asso⁃ciated with specific location information provided by individu⁃al sensor nodes.

Although some practical experiments have been conducted using WSNs to collect sensed data from a forest fire［3］-［5］，there are still some challenges to using WSNs for this purpose. A fire detector may sound an alarm based on a simple thresh⁃old，which gives rise to false alarms even though the sensing unit of the fire detector may be highly sensitive.False alarms occur for two main reasons：

·A photoelectric smoke sensing unit is sensitive to white aero⁃sol particles from a smoldering fire but also to dust［6］.

·Environmental conditions in the forest often severely disturb the normal behavior of the sensing unit.Sunlight and artifi⁃cial light are primary sources of interference with the flame⁃sensing unit.

Limited power supply to sensor nodes makes it difficult to detect fires over a long period of time.The potential energy sources for sensor nodes can be classified according to whether they store energy within the sensor nodes（e.g.，in a battery），distribute power to the sensor node through a wire，or scavenge available ambient power（e.g，using a solar battery on the sen⁃sor node）.Considering the volume of the sensor node，manner of deployment，and forest conditions，the solar battery is one of the most promising sources of energy for detecting forest fires over a long period of time.However，existing works on solar batteries for sensor nodes，e.g.，［8］-［13］，overlook the problem of intermittent sunlight in the forest.

In this paper，we propose a forest fire detection system that includes an artificial neural network algorithm implemented in a WSN.Overall，the main contributions of this paper are as fol⁃lows：

·The multi⁃criteria detection depends on multiple attributes of a forest fire and is introduced into WSNs to increase the accuracy of detecting a forest fire.

·An artificial neural network algorithm is used to fuse sens⁃ing data that corresponds to multiple attributes of a forest fire into an alarm decision.

·We introduce the principle of the proposed system as wellas a prototype comprising TelosB sensor nodes and a solar battery to power the WSN.

2 System Description

For the sake of clarity，we consider a WSN with only one base station and hundreds of sensor nodes.Because a WSN with multiple base stations can be regarded as multiple WSNs（each comprising one base station and corresponding sensor nodes），the proposed system can also be implemented if the WSN has multiple base stations.Therefore，there are n sensor nodes in the WSN，each denotedsj，1≤j≤n.A forest fire f has l attributes，each denoted，1≤i≤l.Attributecan be sensed by the sensing unitui.A uion ansjis denot⁃ed.The output sensing data ofis denoted.For sim⁃plicity，we assume thatsjhasltypes of sensing units cover⁃inglattributes of the forest fire.We use a multilayer back⁃propagation artificial neural network to fuse sensing data. The total number of layers in the artificial neural network is de⁃notedm.The input vector of the k th layer，1≤k≤m，is de⁃noted Ak-1.The output vector of the k th layer is denoted Ak. Therefore，A0and Amrepresent the input and output of the artificial neural network，respectively.The alarm decision is denotedad.

3 Proposed Forest Fire Detection Method

In our proposed system，detection is made more accurate by using multiple criteria，which means the ad is based on multi⁃ple criteria of the forest fire.Multi⁃criteria detection is imple⁃mented by the artificial neural network algorithm.Because of the artificial neural network，the proposed system has low over⁃head and has self⁃learning capabilities；that is，it trains itself to build up the relations between sensing data and correctad.

3.1 Multi-Criteria Detection

In a system that depends on one attribute of a forest fire to raise alarms，there is a high probability of false alarms because of inherent system drawbacks or external disturbances.To overcome such drawbacks and counter external disturbances，the system must take into account the multiple attributes of a forest fire.This is referred to as multi⁃criteria detection（Defi⁃nition 1）.With multi⁃criteria detection，multiple attributes of a forest fire are sensed by different types of sensing unit.There⁃fore，a sensing unit that has been interfered with cannot raise a false alarm.Together，multiple sensing units confirm an alarm. Multi⁃criteria detection increases the accuracy of detecting a forest fire.

Definition 1（Multi⁃criteria detection）.Multi⁃criteria detec⁃tion is represented as a function with multiple arguments，which refer to the attributes of forest fire f， and onead，given by：

Therefore，radiation intensity can be the basis for detecting a forest fire given that the typical temperature of a forest fire is 600°C-1000°C［15］.The ultraviolet sensing unit and infra⁃red flame sensing unit work by detecting radiation intensity. Other attributes that can be used to identify a forest fire in⁃clude combustion products.It is well known that a forest fire gives off bursts of carbon dioxide，carbon monoxide，water va⁃por，and dust.

3.2 Artificial Neural Network Algorithm

We use the multi⁃layer back⁃propagation artificial neural network for multi⁃criteria detection.Although data fusion in WSNs has been covered in much of the literature［16］-［18］，the topic has not been considered in the context of forest fires. A multi⁃layer back⁃propagation artificial neural network is widely used to emulate the non⁃linear relationship between its input and output.However，computation in this kind of net⁃work is not complex because the network is a combination of neurons dealing with simple functions.Moreover，multi⁃layer back⁃propagation artificial neural network is capale of self⁃learning，which means it can train itself to build up relations between the inputs and desired targets.

3.2.1 Making an Alarm Decision

Without loss of generality，we assume that the multi⁃layer back⁃propagation artificial neural network is implemented on sjwith l types of sensing units that cover l attributes of the forest fire.Sensing dataon sjcorresponds toof the forest fire.

Specifically，A0is the input to the first layer of the multi⁃layer artificial neural network.In the first layer，A0is multi⁃plied by weight matrix W1with dimension s1×land bias vec⁃torB1，includings1neurons in the first layer.The intermedi⁃ate computation result of the first layer is denoted N1and is given by：

Then，N1is sent to transfer function F1，which may be a linear or nonlinear.That is，F1may be a hard⁃limit function or sigmoid function depending on the specific problem it needs to solve.In general，transfer functions in the multi⁃layer artificial neural network are easy to compute.Transfer function F1oper⁃ates on every element of N1.The result of transfer function F1，denoted A1，is the output of the first layer：

The fusion of sensing data proceeds in the second layer of the multi⁃layer artificial neural network.The output A1of the first layer becomes the input of the second layer.The calcula⁃tion process of the second layer is similar to that of the first lay⁃er except the second layer has its own W2，B2，and F2.In general，the calculation of the i th layer is given by：

where m is the number of layers in the artificial network.

For a decision to be made on whether there is a forest fire or not，the output of the m th layer，Am（7），is confined to one el⁃ement.

This is done by letting the m th layer contain only one neu⁃ron.If the alarm decision is confined to a Boolean value，we need to choose the transfer function，the output of which is a Boolean value，for the m th layer，such as the hard limit func⁃tion.

An alarm decision is made by inputting the attributes of a forest fire into the multi⁃layer back⁃propagation artificial neu⁃ral network，as shown in Theorem 1.

Theorem 1.The ad of the multi⁃criteria detection is comput⁃ ed by the recursive（8）given sensing datacor⁃ responding tolattributes of forest firef.

3.2.2 Self⁃Learning Capability

Given sensing data that corresponds to multiple attributes of a forest fire and given correct alarm decisions，the multi⁃layer back⁃propagation artificial neural network trains itself to build relationships between the sensing data and correct alarm deci⁃sions.However complex the relationship，it is easy for the multi⁃layer back⁃propagation artificial neural network to fulfil the task.

Essentially，self⁃learning means having the output of the multi⁃layer back⁃propagation artificial neural network approxi⁃mate the target output by adjusting the weight matrixes and bi⁃ases.This adjustment is made in order to minimize the mean⁃square error（MSE）between the output and target output.Sup⁃ poseqinputs are denoted，1≤i≤q.Corresponding tothe output is denoted，and the target output is denotedThus，the MSE for the i th iterated adjustment is：

For clarity，the adjustment of the weight matrixes and biases is expressed by Theorem 2.

Theorem 2.In the self⁃learning，the i th iterated adjustment of the weight matrixes and biases is conducted according to（10）and（11），whereαis a constant for the learning rate，and ϕ（j）is computed by the recursive（12） where

After self⁃learning，the multi⁃layer back⁃propagation artifi⁃cial neural network builds up a mathematical relationship be⁃tween the sensing data and correct alarm decisions.Then，the artificial neural network can make an accurate alarm decision.

4 Implemented Prototype

We have developed a prototype of the forest fire detection system using an artificial neural network in a WSN.The sys⁃tem mainly comprises three parts：the solar battery，fire⁃detec⁃tion module，and user interface.

4.1 Solar Battery

To consistently power the unattended sensor nodes deployed in a forest where only intermittent sunlight is available，we de⁃velop a solar battery（Fig.1）.The energy from the solar panel is buffered by the super capacitor.When the energy in the sup⁃per capacitor reaches a threshold，the super capacitor starts to recharge the Li⁃ion battery.Because of the intermittent sun⁃light in the forest，the energy produced by the solar panel is not enough to recharge the battery.If not buffered in the super capacitor，this energy is wasted.On the other hand，the charge⁃discharge cycles of the Li⁃ion battery are limited.It is better tocharge a Li⁃ion battery until it is full；otherwise，the life of the battery decreases.On the contrary，the super capacitor has al⁃most infinite charge⁃discharge cycles and is ideal for frequent⁃ly pulsing applications.

Here we discuss implementation of the solar battery in de⁃tail.The solar panel of the battery is 110×95 mm and com⁃prises eight cells connected in parallel and generating 550 mA at 2 V.Theoretically，the maximum energy generated in one hour can sustain a sensor node for 26 days，i.e.，1100 mAh/（0.53 mA×3.3 V×24 h），provided that the sensor nodes work on a 10%duty cycle with an average current of 0.53 mA.Ener⁃gy from the solar panel is buffered by two 150 F 2.5 V super capacitors wired in parallel.A 3.7 V 700 mAh Li⁃ion battery is used to continually save energy.The fully charged Li⁃ion bat⁃tery can power a sensor node working on a 10%duty cycle for 55 days，i.e.， 700 mAh/（0.53 mA×24 h） .We chose MAX1674 and ISL6292 integrated circuits as the DC⁃DC con⁃verters，which have a conversion efficiency of around 90%.

4.2 Fire Detection Module

The fire detection module is responsible for multi⁃criteria detection.The module comprises five TelosB sensor nodes，four of which monitor the forest fire.That is，they convert the attri⁃butes of a forest fire into sensing data.The multi⁃layer back⁃propagation artificial neural net⁃work is implemented on each individual sensor node because the sensor node is endowed with four types of sensing units.However，for the purpose of analysis，raw sensing data besides the fire alarm are transmitted to users.The last sensor node acts as the base station，collecting sensing data and the fire alarm from the other four sensor nodes.For simplicity，four sensor nodes communicate with the base station direct⁃ly in one⁃hop communication.Each TelosB sen⁃sor node has a 16 bit 8 MHz mirocontroller，an RF transceiver compliant with IEEE 802.15.4，and four sensing units.These sensing units sense temperature（-40°C-123.8°C），rela⁃tive humidity（RH），infrared light（320 nm-1100 nm），and visible light（320 nm-730 nm）.Hence，each sensor node can monitor the four attributes of a forest fire.

The architecture of the artificial neural network is shown in Fig.2.

The back⁃propagation artificial neural network in the fire de⁃tection module is a two⁃layer network.There are four neurons in the first layer，because of the four sensing units in a TelosB sensor node，and one neuron in the second layer.The transfer function for the first layer is log⁃sigmoid function（f1 in Fig.2）and is given by：

The transfer function for the second layer is a linear func⁃tion（f2 in Fig.2）and is given by：

4.3 User Interface Module

The user interface module is responsible for displaying the raw sensing data to the user.First，the sensing data and fire alarm are transmitted from the base station to the user.The da⁃ta flow is shown in Fig.3.Sensing data from sensor nodes are transmitted to the base station by wireless communication.The base station is a gateway between WSNs and the Internet and forwards the sensing data to a user client.The medium be⁃tween the base station and user client is the Internet.There⁃fore，the user may be located far away from the fire⁃detection system.Socket communication is facilitated by Java.Next，theuser interface module displays the sensing data to the user. The graphical interface draws curves for each typed of sensing data over time.The graphical interface is refershed accourding to the arrival of new sensing data.Therefore，the curves of the graphical interface are synchronous with the sensing units on sensor nodes.Each type of sensing data is displayed by a tab in the graphical interface.

5 Conclusion

A forest fire can threaten forest resources and human life. This threat can be mitigated by timely and accurate alarms. WSNs are widely used for environmental monitoring；therefore，we use a WSN for forest fire detection.To increase the accura⁃cy of the detection system，we propose multi⁃criteria detection for forest fires.In this paper，multi⁃criteria detection is imple⁃mented by the artificial neural network algorithm.To power the sensor nodes in the forest where only intermittent sunlight is available，we develop a solar battery module.We developed a prototype of the proposed system comprising solar batter module，fire detection module，and user interface module.

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Manuscript received：2015⁃04⁃22

Biographiesphies

Yongsheng Liu（liuys170@chinaunicom.cn）is an engineer at the Network Technolo⁃gy Research Institute，China Unicom.His research interests include network securi⁃ty，wireless sensor networks，and IP and bearer technology.He is also a member of China Communications Standards Association（CCSA）and has proposed some drafts related to Multiprotocol Label Switching（MPLS）and Internet service quality.

Yansong Yang（yangys30@chinaunicom.cn）is head of the IP and Bearer Technolo⁃gy Division at the Network Technology Research Institute of China Unicom.He has been engaged design and consultation for the IP network for many years.

Chang Liu（liuc131@chinaunicom.cn）works at the Network Technology Research Institute of China Unicom.His current research interests are network modeling and IP and bearer technology.

Yu Gu（yugu.bruce@gmail.com）received the BEng and PhD degrees from the Uni⁃versity of Science and Technology of China in 2004 and 2010.From February 2006 to August 2006，he interned at the Wireless Network Group，Microsoft Research Asia，Beijing.From 2007 to 2008，he was a visiting scholar in the Department of Computer Science，University of Tsukuba，Japan.From 2010 to 2012，he was a JSPS Reseaech Fellow in the National Institute of Informatics，Japan.He is now a professor in the School of Computer and Information，Hefei University of Technolo⁃gy，China.His research interests include information science，pervasive computing，and wireless networking，especially wireless sensor network.