Researchers have unveiled the Dragon Firefighter, a flying firehose robot designed to assist human crews in tackling dangerous blazes. Published as Open Science in Frontiers in Robotics and AI, the design allows scientists worldwide to build their own versions. The team expects the technology to see real-world use within the next decade.
Unlike mythical dragons that breathe fire, this one extinguishes it—using powerful jets of water to put out flames too hazardous for humans to face.
Japan’s Firefighting Robot Takes Shape
Developed by Japanese researchers, the four-meter-long, remotely controlled robot was engineered to safely approach and extinguish fires inside buildings. Led by Dr. Yuichi Ambe and Prof. Satoshi Tadokoro, the project began in 2016 and evolved through collaboration with Japanese firefighters to meet real-world needs.
The Dragon Firefighter hovers two meters high on eight adjustable water jets, its flexible hose aiming at flames via a control unit in a trailing cart. This cart is linked via a supply tube to a fire truck carrying a 14,000-liter water tank.
The Dragon Firefighter debuted at the 2020 World Robot Summit in Fukushima, successfully extinguishing a ceremonial flame from four meters away. The study details its design, lessons learned, and subsequent improvements.
Lessons from the First Demonstration
Dr. Yu Yamauchi said the team has continued improving the Dragon and gaining new insights since the WRS2020 demo.
The team found the original damping system inefficient, requiring too much setup time before flight. They also observed that intense heat from fires could deform the corrugated tube enclosing the water hose and electric cables.
Further enhancements include improved waterproofing, a nozzle system capable of managing a broader range of forces, and a better water-channeling mechanism. Additional refinements are still in development.
A Decade to Real-World Deployment
“We anticipate that it will take around another decade before our robot can be used in real-world firefighting situations,” Ambe explained.
“The main challenge lies in increasing its operational range to over 10 meters. Equally important will be designing firefighting strategies that fully leverage the robot’s distinctive capabilities.”
Read the original article on: frontiersin
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