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Firefighting Dragon robot could be ready to fly into real housefires within 10 years
Scientists hope that the awesome Dragon Firefighter robot will be used to extinguish real fires within the next decade.
Engineers are constantly looking for new ways in which modern robotics can help save human lives, especially in natural or man-made disasters such as fires. This month, a team of researchers unveiled blueprints for the Dragon Firefighter, a high-tech remote-controlled robot that could revolutionize the way in which we deal with hard-to-reach blazes.
Scientists develop flying robot dubbed the Dragon Firefighter
A team of Japanese scientists has built a four-meter-long flying robot called the Dragon Firefighter (DFF), which they hope could be used by firefighters around the world to extinguish blazes that are too dangerous for humans to approach.
We here present a prototype of a four-meter-long, remotely controllable flying firehose robot, engineered to safely and efficiently extinguish fires in buildings by directly approaching the�fire�sources, explained Yuichi Ambe, one of the researchers who has been working on the DFF project.
The robot uses eight controllable jets of water to lift itself two meters from the ground, with a nose that can change shape and orientation depending on where the fire is.
Water expelled from the DFF can reach rates of 6.6 liters per second and at the time of its latest demonstration, was attached to a fire truck with a 14,000-liter capacity.
The team actually debuted the DFF back in 2020 but found that there were several deficiencies regarding its reliability and the prolonged time needed to prepare the robot to fly.
Now, three years later, the scientists have re-designed the water channels, developed nozzle units with a larger movable range, waterproofing techniques to improve system reliability, and even the internal mechanism for better flight stability.
So, when could the Dragon Firefighter be ready to fight fires in the real world?
Researchers hope that Dragon will fly into real fires within 10 years
Ambe revealed that the team expects that it will take around a decade for the robot to be fully optimized for real-world deployment.
We estimate that it will take approximately 10 more years to deploy our robot in real-world firefighting scenarios.
The next step in the research is to extend its reach to beyond 10 meters , but there is far more work to be done other than with nuts, bolts, and programming software.
Ambe explained how Developing effective firefighting tactics tailored to this robot’s unique capabilities will likewise be a critical aspect of further development.
Incredibly, the team has also published the blueprints for the robot, meaning that engineers around the world can freely use their plans to build and upgrade their own Dragon Firefighter.
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As modern robotics continues to produce innovative new life-saving equipment, the DFF stands/hovers as one of the coolest firefighting-focused technologies produced in recent years.
