New technology created by a teenager in Orange County could help fight wildfires. This video was broadcast on Today in LA on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025.
An Orange County teenager’s startup will get real-world testing with plans for his wildfire-detecting sensors to soon be installed in Irvine.
At just 16 years old, Ryan Honary, a Newport Beach native who is studying at Stanford Online High School, has several accolades under his belt for his efforts in detecting wildfires using artificial intelligence. His work with his startup, SensoRy AI, has already received recognition in the form of an Office of Naval Research (ONR) Naval Science Award and won the grand prize at the 2019 Ignite Innovation Student Challenge.
Honary began working on his technology when he was in the fifth grade as a response to the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and burned more than 150,000 acres in Butte County. As an elementary school student, he created an early detection technology to prevent wildfires, which later secured a grant and ultimately formed SensoRy AI.
The technology uses artificial intelligence to create a sensor network that analyzes smoke and heat data to alert firefighters when a brush fire occurs.
“With greater than 1,200 feet line of sight and around 300 feet of non-line of sight, we’re able to detect fire that’s smaller than one foot,” Honary said.
His developments garnered the support of the Orange County Fire Authority, which is now working with him to “turn his platform into a deployable product,” according to the teen’s website. Since the creation of SensoRy AI, he’s received funding from Irvine Ranch Conservancy for his project.
To learn more about Honary and SensoRy AI, click here.
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