Automatic and robust breadcrumb system deployment for indoor firefighter applications

Abstract

Breadcrumb systems (BCS) have been proposed to aid firefighters inside buildings by communicating their physiological parameters to base stations outside the buildings. In this paper, we describe the design, implementation and evaluation of an automatic and robust breadcrumb system for firefighter applications. Our solution includes a breadcrumb dispenser with an optimized link estimator that is used to decide when to deploy breadcrumbs to maintain reliable wireless connectivity. The solution includes accounting for realities of buildings and dispensing such as the height difference between where the dispenser is worn and the floor where the dispensed nodes are found. We also include adaptive power management to maintain link quality over time.