Looking through the fire

Austrian scientists are working on a virtual reality display system that aims to help firefighters see through fire to determine where the fire breaks out and where they are standing.

>>> Fire hats look through the smoke

Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology in Vienna say their virtual reality project, called ProFiTex , can provide wearable spectacles to help them find their way in the dark.

The infrared sensor is mounted on the glass, displaying the surface temperature on the front panel, and the camera captures and zooms the three-dimensional model of the surrounding landscape onto the screen.

Based on the information collected, from the room temperature to the security of the building, firefighters decide whether or not to fire.

Image based on thermal data collected by infrared sensor - (Image: YouTube)

"Basically, we reinvent the virtual environment on a virtual basis ," said project leader Hannes Kaufmann.

He said that because firefighters could not see the whole scene, his team provided a completely real model based on the heat data that they could observe. For example, if the outer wall is dark red, it means that the inside is very dangerous.

The data could also be sent to outside firefighters, allowing them to decide whether to fire or not.