AT A GLANCE
- Dragon Firefighter Innovation: Japanese researchers have designed a unique firefighting robot, the Dragon Firefighter, resembling a flying dragon that uses water jets to extinguish fires instead of breathing fire.
- Open Source Blueprint: The plans for the Dragon Firefighter have been published as Open Science, allowing roboticists worldwide to freely access and use the designs for building their own firefighting robots.
- Remotely Controllable: The Dragon Firefighter is a four-meter-long, remotely controllable robot equipped with a firehose. It is engineered to safely approach and extinguish fires in buildings.
- Collaboration with Firefighters: The development team collaborated with Japanese firefighters to understand their needs, ensuring the robot’s design meets practical firefighting requirements.
- Jet Propulsion Mechanism: Propelled by eight controllable water jets, the Dragon Firefighter’s firehose can change shape and be directed towards flames. It is connected to a wheeled cart, which, in turn, is linked to a fire truck with a 14,000-liter water reservoir.
- Successful Demonstration: The Dragon Firefighter successfully demonstrated its firefighting capabilities at the World Robot Summit 2020, extinguishing a ceremonial flame from a distance of four meters. Ongoing improvements aim to enhance its performance and address challenges for real-world deployment in approximately 10 years.
Dragon Firefighter: A Flying Robot That Extinguishes Fires
Picture a futuristic dragon not breathing fire, but using powerful jets of water to extinguish flames. Thanks to a dedicated team of Japanese researchers, this innovative firefighting robot, named the Dragon Firefighter, could soon join firefighting teams globally, assisting in tackling fires too perilous for human intervention.
The detailed plans for this groundbreaking robot have been openly shared in the scientific journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI. This means that experts worldwide are free to utilize these plans to construct their own Dragon Firefighters, promoting collaborative advancements in firefighting technology.
Dr. Yuichi Ambe, an assistant professor at Osaka University and joint corresponding author, describes the Dragon Firefighter as a remotely controllable flying firehose robot, designed to safely and effectively extinguish fires in buildings by directly approaching the fire sources.
The development of the Dragon Firefighter began in 2016 at Tohoku University under the guidance of Prof Satoshi Tadokoro’s laboratory. A team of 11 researchers and students contributed to refining the robot, collaborating with Japanese firefighters to understand their specific needs.
The Dragon Firefighter employs jet propulsion, utilizing eight controllable water jets to propel itself two meters above the ground. Its flexible firehose, connected to a wheeled cart, can be directed towards flames with the help of a control unit. The cart is linked to a fire truck carrying a substantial 14,000-liter water reservoir.
Water is ejected from the nozzles at a rate of 6.6 liters per second with a pressure of up to one megapascal. The hose’s tip features both a conventional and thermal imaging camera, aiding in pinpointing the fire’s location.
The robot underwent its first trial by fire at the World Robot Summit 2020 (WRS2020) in September 2021, successfully extinguishing a ceremonial flame at a distance of four meters. The study not only outlines the Dragon’s design but also shares insights from this initial demonstration, along with subsequent enhancements.
Dr. Yu Yamauchi, an assistant professor at Akita Prefectural University and another corresponding author, notes ongoing improvements since the WRS2020 demonstration, addressing issues like oscillations and heat-induced deformations.
Future of Firefighting: Taking to the Skies in 10 Years
The study highlights advancements such as enhanced waterproofing, a more versatile nozzle unit, and improved water flow mechanisms. However, the researchers anticipate approximately 10 more years of development before deploying the Dragon Firefighter in real-world firefighting scenarios.
The primary challenge ahead involves extending the robot’s reach beyond 10 meters, requiring the development of firefighting tactics tailored to its unique capabilities. Despite the timeline, the journey toward incorporating this remarkable robot into firefighting teams continues, promising a high-tech ally in combating dangerous blazes.
Add Slash Insider to your Google News Feed
Source(s): Tech Xplore
The information above is curated from reliable sources, modified for clarity. Slash Insider is not responsible for its completeness or accuracy. Please refer to the original source for the full article. Views expressed are solely those of the original authors and not necessarily of Slash Insider. We strive to deliver reliable articles but encourage readers to verify details independently.
