Dragon Firefighter Flying Robot: The Way forward for Firefighting
In a groundbreaking development, scientists have created a brand new ally for firefighters: the Dragon Firefighter. This flying firehose is designed to combat probably the most dangerous fires, providing a safer alternative for human firefighters.
The Dragon Firefighter is the brainchild of a team of Japanese researchers. “We here present a prototype of a four-meter-long, remotely controllable flying firehose robot, engineered to securely and efficiently extinguish fires in buildings by directly approaching the fireplace sources,” said joint corresponding creator Dr. Yuichi Ambe, an assistant professor at Osaka University.
The design, published in Frontiers in Robotics and AI, relies on Open Science principles, allowing researchers worldwide to freely use the plans to construct their very own Dragon Firefighters.
The Dragon Firefighter operates by propelling a firehose upward, flying at two meters above the bottom, using eight controllable jets of water spouting from its center and head. The firehose can change shape and be oriented towards flames, steered by a control unit in a wheeled cart behind. The cart is connected through a supply tube to a hearth truck with a water reservoir of 14,000 liters.
The Dragon Firefighter made its debut on the World Robot Summit 2020 (WRS2020), held in September 2021 in Fukushima, where it successfully extinguished the ceremonial flame from a distance of 4 meters.
Since then, the team has continued to refine the design. “Because the demonstration at WRS2020, we now have continued to work on improving our Dragon and have learned many latest things,” said Dr. Yu Yamauchi, an assistant professor at Akita Prefectural University and one other corresponding creator.
Improvements include higher waterproofing, a nozzle unit able to handling a wider range of net forces, and an improved mechanism for channeling water flow. Nevertheless, the team anticipates that it would take roughly 10 more years to deploy the robot in real-world firefighting scenarios.
“The first challenge will likely be to increase its reach to beyond 10 meters. Developing effective firefighting tactics tailored to this robot’s unique capabilities will likewise be a critical aspect of further development,” said Ambe.
This revolutionary approach to firefighting could revolutionize the sphere, providing a safer and more efficient option to combat dangerous fires. The Dragon Firefighter is a testament to the potential of robotics and AI in creating solutions for real-world problems.
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