INGENIOUS: the first responder of the future. A next generation integrated toolkit for collaborative response, increasing protection and augmenting operational capacity.

Abstract

The INGENIOUS project (EU Horizon 2020) aims to develop, integrate, test, deploy, demonstrate and validate a Next Generation Integrated Toolkit (NGIT) for Collaborative Response, which ensures high level of Protection & Augmented Operational Capacity to respond to the disaster scene. This will comprise a multitude of the tools and services required: 1) for enabling protection of the first responders with respect to their health, safety and security; 2) for enhancing their operational capacities by offering them with means to conduct various response tasks and missions boosted with autonomy, automation, precise positioning, optimal utilisation of available resources and upgraded awareness and sense‐making; 3) for allowing shared response across first responders teams and disciplines by augmenting their field of view, information sharing and communications between teams and with victims. The NGIT armours the FRs at all fronts, by delivering novel, affordable, accepted and customised response tools and services as part of their uniform and as part of their operational assets. The NGIT will be provided at the service of the FRs for extensive testing and validation (at component and Toolkit levels) in the framework of a rich Training, Testing and Validation Programme – of Lab Tests (LSTs), Small‐Scale Field Tests (SSTs) and Full‐Scale Field Validations (FSXs) – towards powering the FR of the future being fully aware, fully connected and fully integrated.