Japanese scientists from Osaka University and Tohoku University have designed a robotic system to extinguish fires. It is a four-meter fire hose that rises into the air thanks to controlled water jets under high pressure. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Frontiers in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (FRA).
The machine, called Dragon Firefighter, can fly at an altitude of up to two meters and change its shape to extinguish fires more effectively. Its nozzles spray water at 6.6 liters per second and at pressures of up to one megapascal. The device is connected to a fire tank with a volume of 14 thousand liters using a supply pipe. The robot is equipped with conventional and thermal imaging cameras to look for fires. The system is expected to be used to extinguish fires in high-risk areas.
According to the authors of the development, during the tests they managed to discover and correct some design flaws, including the mechanism for counteracting the vibrations of the “dragon”.
It was also revealed that the protective sheath of the water hose and electrical cables was not sufficiently resistant to heat and could be deformed due to the heat of the flame.
Scientists expect the robot’s range of motion to be increased to 10 meters. According to their estimates, the mass introduction of such machines in fire departments will be possible in about 10 years.
Previous scientists developed Method of detecting forest fires using radar.