Teijin Limited has developed smart uniforms for firefighters incorporating a sophisticated wearable device that monitors body heat.
The company also succeeded in predicting the risk of firefighters getting heatstroke, the first time in the world this has been achieved, during tests in the development of its new smart protective system (SPS). The predictions are based on estimates of deep body temperature derived from an analysis of data provided by the new smart uniforms.
Developed following experiments by co-research partner Osaka City University in collaboration with the Osaka Municipal Fire Department, SPS will be able to warn on-site firefighters and their headquarters when body data collected and transmitted from the smart wear indicates the risk of heatstroke.
Teijin will present the smart firefighter uniforms and SPS at RISCON Tokyo, the largest exhibition for risk management solutions in Japan at Tokyo Big Site from October 11th to 13th (Booth 4A23).
Teijin will demonstrate various firefighting scenarios with the new smart firefighter uniforms and SPS, and aims to have the new solutions adopted for use as early as 2019. The company will further develop the functionality of SPS, aiming to position it as part of a total solution for firefighter safety that will include processes such as firefighter positioning management. The Teijin Group also plans to further develop algorithms that utilize deep body temperature measurements to help manage high temperature working environments more safely and efficiently.
The smart firefighter uniforms incorporate a card case-sized sensing device, which was developed by Teijin in conjunction with Infocom Corporation, the IT business of the Teijin Group. The device monitors the temperature and precise position of firefighters, and transmits the data in real time to management systems at the scenes of fires and to firefighting headquarters, where it can be analyzed to accurately estimate deep body temperature and thereby ensure the safety of firefighters.