Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Fotokite (Aerial Situational Awareness for Every Firefighter)
Reporting period: 2020-11-01 to 2021-10-31
In the second 12 months, design goals with detailed specifications were identified and a detailed technical plan including a design validation prototype stage took place wherein the prototype was tested in extreme environments and with different vehicle types. Fully functional demonstration units were then paired with external partners for user feedback from real world situations. This feedback identified design changes needed for later prototyping stages after which design validation and testing was performed and a manufacturing transfer protocol was defined. The vehicle-integrated enclosure progressed from solution specification to prototype to real-world testing to the resulting detailed assembly manual and manufacturing protocol suitable for larger scale production and customer deliveries. A variety of multidisciplinary tasks were undertaken by Fotokite personnel, working closely with key partners and pilot users, to gain effective confidence in the design and performance of the vehicle-integrated enclosure in challenging, first-responder conditions. The hands-on collaboration with the contract manufacturer will provide a productive feedback loop that will improve build quality and reduce assembly labor, ultimately making this product available to public safety teams and supporting them in their daily work of saving lives, preserving property, and serving their communities. In the second project year we continued our pre-sales and market monitoring activities. According to the potential customer’s feedback after the submission of the first interim report and the comments from our commercial leads, we turned our attention to the European Nordic countries. Direct market research activities were implemented with specified surveys in these countries. Questionnaires were developed and sent out in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark for governmental and other public administrational institutions in charge with fire safety, police operations and public safety (emergency response teams.) We continuously pursued several communication and dissemination activities in the second year of the project as well. We were even more active in on-line dissemination activities: the project website was renewed (www.FOTOKITE.com) new engagement project videos were prepared and social media dissemination was further boosted on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FOTOKITE on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FOTOKITE_ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/FOTOKITE/ and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FOTOKITE/. The project was presented on more than 25 demonstration events, training occasions or any other type of events related to dissemination and communication.