Emergency Managers Integrate MANET Technology into ISR Platforms for Public Safety Communication Solutions; TrellisWare
Emergency managers across the nation are turning to unmanned systems to support mission-critical initiatives.
Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) technologies have been tried and tested in demanding military environments, providing eyes and ears on situations that are either impractical or too dangerous for direct human observation.
ISR systems are using unmanned technology platforms to provide critical ad-hoc connectivity when existing infrastructure is compromised.
Emergency managers across the nation are turning to unmanned systems to support mission-critical initiatives by leveraging intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) technologies that have been tried and tested in demanding military environments.
Beyond providing eyes and ears on situations that are either impractical or too dangerous for direct human observation, ISR systems are using unmanned technology platforms to provide critical ad-hoc connectivity when existing infrastructure is compromised, says Kevin Thompson, director of public safety for TrellisWare, a provider of mobile ad-hoc networks solutions, in a podcast interview with BizTechReports.
MANET technology is playing a critical role in addressing the communications challenges faced by first responders during catastrophic events. MANET is a decentralized wireless network in which devices in the operational field (such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops), become routers that can forward traffic unrelated to their own use.
In a MANET environment, each device is free to move independently in any direction, which dynamically changes the links that are established (and dropped) with other devices. ISR platforms hovering over an area in which conventional communications networks have been compromised provide a beam of coverage that can be backhauled to a broadband network. MANET technology extends the geographical reach of an ad-hoc network when devices at the edge of coverage can be accessed by devices outside of a beam provided by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
Kevin Thompson, TrellisWare
This capability is turning out to be a game changer for emergency management agencies responding to natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. As a new generation of cost-effective ISR technologies designed to support the public safety mission comes online, a growing number of organizations that previously could not afford these solutions – including local first-responder agencies in small or rural communities – are taking another look.
There are, however, challenges to adopting these up-and-coming technologies.
“Complying with local and state regulations on what technologies can and cannot be deployed requires significant coordination among emergency managers with the respective authorities to avoid legal and financial missteps,” says Thompson.
That is why establishing robust partnership among private-sector technology providers and public-sector organizations across federal, state and local agencies is so critical to ensuring that first responders can get the most out of their investments in open and interoperable emergency management ISR technologies.
“These partnerships enable agencies to develop a set of solutions by streamlining workflows deployed by emergency managers when needed,” explains Thompson. “Emergency managers can fuse together hand-selected packages of technology that can be included in unmanned vehicle platforms to fit the specific situational needs of emergency management agencies.”
Bringing Life to ISR Dead Zones with MANET Technology
While it can, during normal times, feel like technology and connectivity is everywhere, major disasters quickly create communication dead zones that compound the dangers faced by civilians and first responders caught up in a major catastrophic event. The first order of business associated with establishing emergency management command centers is to quickly enable communications across affected areas as soon as possible..
“Responding to major weather events or natural disasters requires large amounts of data to be gathered, analyzed and shared among a wide community of experts with many different disciplines. When MANET technologies are integrated into emergency management ISR systems, highly effective wireless broadband communications can quickly be stood up,” he says.
This allows agencies to reduce the exposure first-responder teams have to dangerous situations, and allows emergency managers to bring new resources -- like doctors, nurses and medics -- to bear as soon as it is clear an area is adequately safe and secure.
UAVs are not the only ISR platforms that can extend the value of MANET technology during perilous times. Terrestrial unmanned vehicles can address communication dead zones in indoor commercial districts, underground transportation systems – such as subways – and other difficult-to-connect industrial environments, such as mining operations.
“TrellisWare’s mission with public safety is to provide an ecosystem of ISR technologies that is interoperable,” adds Thompson. “We are working with a variety of organizations to offer platforms that help first-responders accomplish their public safety missions effectively by removing deadzones and other communications silos and ensuring that MANET communications are robust and resilient.”
For more information or to schedule a podcast interview, please email Melissa at Mfisher@Biztechreports.com.