Alchera, a company specializing in image recognition AI, has signed a partnership with PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric Company), the largest power company in the western United States, to supply artificial intelligence wildfire detection solutions.
Through this partnership, Alchera will apply its AI wildfire detection solution ‘FireScout’ to one-third of all high-definition fire surveillance cameras operated by PG&E across California. Alchera aims to apply the 'Fire Scout' solution to all cameras operated by PG&E through the development of the partnership phase in the future.
‘Fire Scout’ is a SaaS-based solution that connects AI and video cameras filming mountains to early detect abnormal situations such as smoke. The judgment accuracy is 99%, and it can detect mountains day and night, and accurately identifies obstacles such as clouds and city lights. It even has technology to estimate the location of wildfires by measuring the direction and angle of smoke.
Jim Ridgway, an official at PG&E HAWC (Hazard Awareness and Warning Center), said, “With artificial intelligence, we are able to more efficiently manage fires that can threaten the company’s electricity and gas assets. In the demo phase, 'Fire Scout' has detected several fires ahead of the information sources that we had established on our own.”
Since the past, PG&E has been in charge of analysis and compensation of wildfires caused by power transmission tower wires and is strengthening voluntary monitoring. As Alchera has signed a partnership with the largest U.S. power company, based on this contract, Alchera plans to secure various customers who require artificial intelligence wildfire detection solutions.
Hwang Young-gyu, CEO of Alchera, said, “I am delighted to be able to protect California, which gets severely damaged by wildfires every year, with Alchera’s technology. We will continue to promote FireScout’s technology more aggressively by achieving good results with our contract.”
Source: Pangyo Techno Valley Official Newsroom