First unmanned surveillance system installed in Adana

ADANA

The first of an unmanned surveillance tower system, nicknamed “Eyes of Forests,” has been installed in the southern province of Adana, daily Milliyet has reported.

The tower, which can monitor all activities within 5,000 hectares of forests and detect smoke within 30 kilometers, will inspect forests 24/7 and warn authorities of a fire at the beginning.

“Early detection is crucial to put out a fire,” İlhami Aydın, deputy head of the Forest Fire Control Department at the country’s General Directorate of Forestry, told the daily on Dec. 11.

“We detect forest fires with cameras, and with the help of artificial intelligence, we find out the exact coordinates, and we intervene,” he added.

The general directorate aims to place three new towers, each 50-meter-tall, in [the northwestern province of] Çanakkale, [the southwestern province of] Muğla, and [the southern province of] Antalya, in 2023.

According to the officials, the “Eyes of Forests” will be the guardians of green lands as forest fires have become a threat occurring not only in summer but 12 months a year due to climate change.