Critical Reflection

At the beginning of this module, I set myself some goals which are being able to filter the significant and relevant information for reports and be a critical thinker. As the module comes to an end, I believe that i have not only achieved my goals but also was able to unlearn the bad habits that I have developed over the years. I am thankful to be under the guidance of Professor Brad whom not only taught me new concepts of being a critical thinker but also nurture to be a better at identifying my areas of weakness.

 

Some of the topics covered in the module such as learning to write a technical report and conducting peer reviews has taught me not only to be a critical thinker but be more verse in report writing too. Following the Paul Elder’s framework has given me new insights on how to analyse and solve problems. With reference to the benchmarks of the intellectual standards, I am able to comprehend and have a stronger understanding of the issue at hand. As previously, whenever I’m faced with a problem, I would tend to ask myself too many questions on what is the issue about or how I would go about it. Moreover, I have been told that the questions that i would think about, are the wrong or the redundant questions that would not help me to find a solution to the problem. The intellectual standards are a guide for me to keep myself on track and also be able to come up with an unbiased reasoning to the argument. Lastly, the biggest takeaway I got from this module, is having the ability to give good criticism while receiving criticism from others. I believe that being able to give good criticism is important as that not only test your knowledge on the topic that is discussed but also am able to analyse someone’s work critically and learn from their mistakes. As it is a two way traffic, the ability to take criticism is as important too as it does not only help to identify your mistakes but it is a valuable learning curve that is tailored to your own individual weaknesses.

 

In the later part of the module, I was teamed up into a group to write a technical report and give a presentation about the content of the report. During this process, the takeaway that I had was learning about the different working styles each member brought to the team. As each one of us had different working habits, I was able to learn and observe each one of them whether its about how to start the project or how the discussions during the meetings are. During the discussions, it was an eye opener for me as I have realised that I tend to be the one who drives the meeting into a certain direction while the rest would take a passive stance and wait for someone to lead. From this experience alone, I learnt that I should give others the mantle to lead to have a common understanding and let others to shine to have an effective and clear channels of communication between on another.

 

In conclusion, although I have brought back many useful takeaways from this module, my next step for myself is to not only stop there but continue to further improve my skills in critical thinking and effective communications. Watching or attending large conference presentations such as TEDx are one of the ways I planned to help me further hone my skills in presentation. Incorporating the analytical skills of a critical thinker in my daily life, will allow me to practise the concepts i have learnt and have a better grasp of understanding of what it is to be a critical thinker.

Summary / Reader Response Draft 3

 The article “Firefighting Robots Go Autonomous” written by Little (2021) addressed researchers’ breakthroughs in developing firefighting robots and their capabilities. As Neil Sahota, an inventor who advises the United Nations on artificial intelligence issues commented “mobility is the big complication” (Little,2021), many researchers are faced with such a problem to tackle when it comes to developing either a remote-controlled or autonomous firefighting robot. However, weighing 3500 pounds, fitted with tank-like treads and a huge plough nose at the front, the Robotics Systems 3 (RS3) is able to pull hoses up inclined slopes and heavy objects out of ditches. The RS3 is fitted with multiple cameras to ease operation from a safe distance of 900 feet from the user. Moreover, these give the operator the full view of the robot’s surroundings both in normal imaging and thermal. Also, the operator is able not only to guide the nozzle in the required directions but also is able to locate survivors with the help of the thermal function. The nozzle that is fitted onto the RS3 has a flow rate 10 times higher than a standard hose, enabling better suppression of a fire. However, the RS3 faces limitations where it is unable to be expensive to procure and since it requires an operator's input, a skilled operator is required. Although the traditional and common tactics used to extinguish a fire are known to work, the aid of tank-like firefighting robots will provide a more efficient and safer way to do so due to the mobility of the robots.

Fire detection programming has been the main focus during the development of firefighting robots which results in the lack of focus on the mobility aspect of the robots (Alhaza, et al. 2015). However, the current firefighting robots such as the RS3 have proven their worth and capabilities. It is designed with tank-like threads and a huge plough at the front to be able to maneuver on all terrains while pushing debris away in its path. This will allow a smoother operation of the RS3 without any hindrance from the fallen debris that could be found at the fire scene. Thus, this decreases the need for extra manpower to clear the fallen debris before being able to conduct a search and rescue mission for survivors.

During operations, firefighters are exposed to possible injuries such as skin burns, trauma and smoke inhalation (Manikandan et al.,2021). Situated 900ft away from the fire, the operators of the RS3 not only are able to control it but are safely situated away from the danger zone. Unlike those autonomous robots, the operators operating the remote-controlled robots such as the RS3 are tasked to process all the information received and make a decision with it (Little,2021). Thus, firefighters will have a sense of job security and will be safer performing their duties while extinguishing the fire from a safe distance.

Despite the advantages of using a firefighting robot to assist in operations, there are certain downsides to it. Firstly, the cost of purchasing a niche robot such as the RS3 will require a huge amount of funding. Neil Sahota believes that the issue of cost does not lie in a technological aspect but in a socioeconomic aspect (Little,2021). Due to the niche capabilities of firefighting robots, investors find it an issue to fund huge amounts of money to better develop or incorporate them into daily operations. The LAFD Assistant Chief Wade White has strongly expressed that the firefighting robots such as the RS3 are not to replace firefighters but merely used as a tool to better improve operations (Little, 2021). As most of them are remotely controlled, the usage of firefighting robots may not be fully utilised to their fullest capacity due to the skill and experience of the operator. The operator's skills and knowledge is paramount to operating the robot to its fullest potential. Operators of different skill levels will constantly find it a challenge to operate the same robot as it is not a one size fits all situation (Lewis et al., 2013). This will require more funding and time to train the operators before being able to put the robots to use. Thus, the usage of a firefighting robot may be another liability instead of being helpful.

In conclusion, firefighting robots have proven more efficient operations and limit the risks for firefighters. However, the implementation of firefighting robots must be carefully executed due to the abovementioned drawbacks. The development of firefighting robots is bound to revolutionise how firefighting will be done and with the proper funding, more lives and property will be saved.

Reference List

A. Hassanein, M. Elhawary, N. Jaber and M. El-Abd (2015), An autonomous firefighting robot. 2015 International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR), 530-535, 

doi: 10.1109/ICAR.2015.7251507.

Little, J.B. (2021, October 29) Firefighting Robots Goes Autonomous. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/firefighting-robots-go-autonomous/

Lewis, B. , Tastan, B. & Sukthankar, G. (2013) Adapting to Expert-Novice Differences in Human-Robot Interaction. 2013 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. https://doi.org.singaporetech.remotexs.co/10.1109/IROS.2013.6696571

Manikandan, R., Subash, K., Sujith, J., Jayasuriyan, T., Jerendran, R., Rajpradeesh, J., Rajesh, S. (2021) Design and development of an industrial firefighting rover. Materials Today: Proceedings, 45(9), 7965-7969. https://www.sciencedirect.com.singaporetech.remotexs.co/science/article/pii/S2214785320406790

Roldán-Gómez, JJ., González-Gironda, E., Barrientos, A. (2021). A Survey on Robotic Technologies for Forest Firefighting: Applying Drone Swarms to Improve Firefighters’ Efficiency and Safety. Applied Sciences, 11(1), 363. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010363

AlHaza, T. , Alsadoon, A. , Alhusinan, Z. , Jarwali, M. , Alsaif, K. (2015), New Concept for Indoor Fire Fighting Robot. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 195, 2343-2352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.191. 

Thubron, R. (2020, October 15). The United States gets its first firefighting robot. Techspot. https://www.techspot.com/news/87125-united-states-get-first-firefighting-robot.html

Summary/Reader Response Draft 2

 

The article “Firefighting Robots Go Autonomous” written by Little (2021) addressed researchers’ breakthroughs in developing firefighting robots and their capabilities. As Neil Sahota, an inventor who advises the United Nations on artificial intelligence issues commented “mobility is the big complication” (Little,2021), many researchers are faced with such problem to tackle when it comes to developing either a remote-controlled or autonomous firefighting robot. However, weighing 3500 pounds, fitted with tanklike treads and a huge plough nose at the front, the Robotics Systems 3 (RS3) is able to pull hoses up inclined slopes and heavy objects out of ditches. The RS3 is fitted with multiple cameras to ease operation from a safe distance of 900 feet from the user. Moreover, these give the operator the full view of the robot’s surroundings both in normal imaging and thermal. Also, the operator is able not only to guide the nozzle in the required directions but also is able to locate survivors with the help of the thermal function. The nozzle that is fitted onto the RS3 has a flow rate 10 times higher than a standard hose, enabling better suppression of a fire. However, the RS3 faces limitations where it is unable to expensive to procure and since it requires an operators input, a skilled operator is required. Although the traditional and common tactics used to extinguish a fire are known to work, the aid of tank-like firefighting robots will provide a more efficient and safer way to do so with their numerous features and capabilities.

Fire detection programming has been the main focus during the development of firefighting robots which results in the lack of focus on the mobility aspect of the robots (Alhaza, et al. 2015). However, the current firefighting robots such as the RS3 have proven their worth and capabilities. It is designed with tank-like threads and a huge plough at the front to be able to maneuver on all terrains while pushing debris away in its path. This will allow a smoother operation of the RS3 without any hindrance from the fallen debris that could be found at the fire scene. Thus, this decreases the need for extra manpower to clear the fallen debris before being able to conduct a search and rescue mission for survivors.

Water is essentially one of the major components required in every firefighting incident. A nozzle is one of the firefighting equipment used to control the flow and dispersion pattern of water. A good nozzle allows firefighters to be able to control the flow of water while providing proper reach and angle to access the fire (IDEX Fire & Safety, n.d). The nozzle found on the RS3 has been reported to be able to discharge water at a flow rate of 2500 gallons per minute which is ten times higher than a conventional hose (Little, 2021). Hence, resulting in better control and mitigation of the fire to ensure the safety of the survivors and prevent any further damages.

Despite the advantages of using a firefighting robot to assist in operations, there are certain downsides to it. Firstly, the cost of purchasing a niche robot such as the RS3 will require a huge amount of funding. Neil Sahota believes that the issue of cost does not lie in a technological aspect but in a socioeconomic aspect (Little,2021). Due to the niche capabilities of firefighting robots, investors find it an issue to fund huge amounts of money to better develop or incorporate them into daily operations. The LAFD Assistant Chief Wade White has strongly expressed that the firefighting robots such as the RS3 are not to replace firefighters but merely used as a tool to better improve operations (Little, 2021). As most of them are remotely controlled, the usage of the firefighting robots may not be fully utilised to its fullest capacity due to the skill and the experience of the operator. A study was conducted in 2021 which tests the cognitive skills of a novice firefighter and an expert firefighter in the discharge of water (Tamura et al., 2021). The study concluded that a novice firefighter will be able to perform as well as an expert firefighter if given a checklist to follow (Tamura et al., 2021). Thus, the usage of a firefighting robot may be another liability instead of being helpful.

In conclusion, firefighting robots have proven a more efficient operation and limit the risks for firefighters. However, the implementation of firefighting robots must be carefully executed due to the drawbacks mentioned above. The development of firefighting robots is bound to revolutionise how firefighting will be done and with the proper funding, more lives and property will be saved.

Reference List

Tamura, Y., Amano, H. & Ota, J (2021). Analysis of cognitive skill in a water discharge activity for firefighting robots. Robomech J 8, 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40648-021-00201-9

A. Hassanein, M. Elhawary, N. Jaber and M. El-Abd (2015), An autonomous firefighting robot. 2015 International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR), pp. 530-535, 

doi: 10.1109/ICAR.2015.7251507.

Roldán-Gómez JJ, González-Gironda E, Barrientos A (2021). A Survey on Robotic Technologies for Forest Firefighting: Applying Drone Swarms to Improve Firefighters’ Efficiency and Safety. Applied Sciences, 11(1), 363. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010363

T. AlHaza, A. Alsadoon, Z. Alhusinan, M. Jarwali, K. Alsaif (2015), New Concept for Indoor Fire Fighting Robot. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 195, 2343-2352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.191.

IDEX Fire & Safety (n.d) Why Properly Maintaining Handline Nozzles Is Critical. https://www.idexfiresafety.com/nozzles/why-properly-maintaining-handline-nozzles-is-critical/#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20controlling%20the,angle%20while%20spraying%20the%20fire.

Thubron,R.(2020, October 15). The United States gets its first firefighting robot. Techspot. https://www.techspot.com/news/87125-united-states-get-first-firefighting-robot.html

Little, J.B (2021, October 29) Firefighting Robots Goes Autonomous. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/firefighting-robots-go-autonomous/

Summary/Reader Response Draft 1

The article “Firefighting Robots Go Autonomous” written by Little (2021) addressed researchers’ breakthroughs in developing firefighting robots and their capabilities. As Neil Sahota, an inventor who advises the United Nations on artificial intelligence issues commented “mobility is the big complication” (Little,2021), many researchers are faced with the problem to tackle when it comes to developing either a remote-controlled or autonomous firefighting robot. However, weighing 3500 pounds and fitted with tanklike treads and a huge plough nose at the front, the Robotics Systems 3 (RS3) is able to pull hoses up inclined slopes and heavy objects out of ditches. The RS3 is fitted with multiple cameras to ease operation from a safe distance of 900 feet from the user. Equipped with four cameras, these give the operator the full view of the robot’s surroundings both in normal imaging and thermal. With the help of the cameras, the operator is able not only to guide the nozzle in the required directions but also is able to locate survivors with the help of the thermal function. Moreover, the RS3 is fitted with a nozzle with a flow rate 10 times higher than a standard hose, enabling better suppression of a fire. However, the RS3 faces limitations where it is unable to operate on its own and requires an operator’s input and the usage of the RS3 is only limited to ground operations. Although the traditional and common tactics used to extinguish a fire are known to work, the aid of tank-like firefighting robots will provide a more efficient and safer way to do so with their numerous features and capabilities.

Fire detection programming has been the main focus during the development of firefighting robots which results in the lack of focus on the mobility aspect of the robots (Alhaza, et al. 2015). However, the current firefighting robots such as the RS3 have proven their worth and capabilities. The RS3 is designed with tank-like threads and a huge plough at the front to be able to maneuver on all terrains while pushing debris away in its path. This will allow the smooth operation of the RS3 without any hindrance from the fallen debris that could be found at the fire scene. Thus, this will decrease the need for extra manpower to clear the fallen debris before being able to conduct a search and rescue mission for survivors.

Water is essentially one of the major components required in every firefighting incident. A nozzle is one of the firefighting equipment used to control the flow and dispersion pattern of water. A good nozzle allows firefighters to be able to control the flow of water while providing proper reach and angle to access the fire (IDEX Fire & Safety, n.d).The nozzle found on the RS3 has been reported to be able to discharge water at a flow rate of 2500 gallons per minute which is ten times higher than a conventional hose (Little, 2021). Hence, resulting in better control and mitigation of the fire to ensure the safety of the survivors and prevent any further damages.

Despite the advantages of using a firefighting robot to assist in operations, there are downsides to incorporating them into daily operations. Firstly, the cost of purchasing a niche robot such as the RS3 will require a huge amount of funding. Neil Sahota believes that the issue of cost does not lie in a technological aspect but in a socioeconomic aspect (Little,2021). Due to the capabilities of firefighting robots being so niche, investors find it an issue to fund huge amounts of money to better develop or incorporate them into daily operations. The LAFD Assistant Chief Wade White has strongly expressed that the firefighting robots such as the RS3 are not to replace firefighters but merely used as a tool to better improve operations (Little, 2021). As most firefighting robots such as the RS3 are remotely controlled by an operator, the usage of the firefighting robot may not be fully utilised to its fullest capacity due to the skill and the experience of the operator. A study was conducted in 2021 which tests the cognitive skills of a novice firefighter and an expert firefighter in the discharge of water (Tamura et al., 2021). The study concluded that a novice firefighter will be able to perform as well as an expert firefighter if given a checklist to follow (Tamura et al., 2021). Thus, the usage of a firefighting robot may be another liability instead of being helpful.

In conclusion, firefighting robots have proven to make operations be more efficient and limit the risks for firefighters. However, the implementation of firefighting robots must be carefully executed due to the drawbacks mentioned above. The development of firefighting robots is bound to revolutionise how firefighting will be done and with the proper funding, more lives and property will be saved.

Reference List

Tamura, Y., Amano, H. & Ota, J (2021). Analysis of cognitive skill in a water discharge activity for firefighting robots. Robomech J 8, 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40648-021-00201-9

A. Hassanein, M. Elhawary, N. Jaber and M. El-Abd (2015), An autonomous firefighting robot. 2015 International Conference on Advanced Robotics (ICAR), pp. 530-535, 

doi: 10.1109/ICAR.2015.7251507.

Roldán-Gómez JJ, González-Gironda E, Barrientos A (2021). A Survey on Robotic Technologies for Forest Firefighting: Applying Drone Swarms to Improve Firefighters’ Efficiency and Safety. Applied Sciences, 11(1), 363. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010363

T. AlHaza, A. Alsadoon, Z. Alhusinan, M. Jarwali, K. Alsaif (2015), New Concept for Indoor Fire Fighting Robot. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 195, 2343-2352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.06.191.

IDEX Fire & Safety (n.d) Why Properly Maintaining Handline Nozzles Is Critical. https://www.idexfiresafety.com/nozzles/why-properly-maintaining-handline-nozzles-is-critical/#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20controlling%20the,angle%20while%20spraying%20the%20fire.

Thubron,R.(2020, October 15). The United States gets its first firefighting robot. Techspot. https://www.techspot.com/news/87125-united-states-get-first-firefighting-robot.html

Little, J.B (2021, October 29) Firefighting Robots Goes Autonomous. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/firefighting-robots-go-autonomous/

Draft 1 Fire Fighting Robots Summary

The article “Firefighting Robots Go Autonomous” written by Little (2021) addressed researchers’ breakthrough in developing firefighting robots and its capabilities. As Neil Sahota, an inventor who advises the United Nations on artificial intelligence issues, commented “mobility is the big complication” (Sahota,n.d), many researchers are faced with the issue to tackle when it comes to developing either a remote controlled or autonomous firefighting robot. However, weighing 3500 pounds and fitted with tanklike treads and a huge plow nose at the front, the Robotics Systems 3 (RS3) (Margaret Stewart, 2020) is able to pull hoses up inclined slopes and heavy objects out of ditches.The RS3 is fitted with multiple cameras for the ease of operation from a safe distance of 900 feet from the user. Equipped with four cameras, these give the operator the full view of the robot’s surroundings both in normal imaging and thermal. With the help of the cameras, the operator is able to not only guide the nozzle to the required directions but also is able to locate survivors with the help of the thermal function. Lastly, the RS3 is equipped with a nozzle that has a flow rate that is 10 times better than a normal hose which allows better suppression of major fires. However, the RS3 will not be able to fight fire at high ground due to it being unable to fly. 

CA1 Self Introduction

 Dear Professor Brad,

 

My name is Kaisan Harith. I am writing to introduce myself as a student in your communication class. Currently, I am a Year 1 mechanical engineering student whom had graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma in aeronautical engineering. Evidently, my interest in pursuing the course of engineering derives from the exposure of my family members working in different sectors of the engineering industry.

 

With my prior experiences gained from working with various groups of people, my strength in communication would be the ability to interact with a variety of people on a professional level. I had to interact with clients of various backgrounds and senior management such as a colonel in the airforce.  This opportunity gave me first-hand experience of the importance of effective communication and a sense of professionalism as my team and I presented our virtual reality project to improve the effectiveness of airforce's drivers.

 

However, the inability to filter and weigh the appropriate information is my biggest setback in my communication skills. I would face problems such as not being able to express my thoughts into words on a report which often results in leaving out crucial information of the research. I would have the tendency to include all information even though certain information are redundant for the report as to not miss out on any crucial information that is required for the report. 

 

Nevertheless my goals for this module are being able to filter the significant and relevant information required to be in a report and be a critical thinker. The learning objectives of this module will prepare me to be well equipped with techniques and concepts of report writing and effective communication.

 

In summary, my willingness to learn and unlearn the bad norms that I may have developed through my experiences is what differentiates myself and the other students. I look forward to learning more about effective communication and critical thinking from you in the coming classes.

 

 

Best regards,

 

Kaisan Harith

Edited on : 22 September 2022

Blogs I have read and commented : Nazran

“Critical Thinking : The Soul of Communication” Reaction

After reading the excerpt, I am able to understand the importance of critical thinking is the foundation of all communication. With relevance to the excerpt, I see communication and critical thinking as 2 components working hand in hand  to be able to achieve the desired goal. Without critical thinking, it will only lead to poor communication which results in errors and faults that could further lead to millions of dollars in damages as reported in the excerpt. 

 

With critical thinking, I will able to consolidate my train of thoughts and develop a more reasonable and concrete argument  . Moreover, resulting in the decline of miscommunication between employees.I believe providing workshops or trainings will educate employees with regards to effective communication and critical thinking. However, such trainings presently fail to be effective as the trainings do not cover the core aspect of communication. As such, employees will not be able to reap the full benefit of such trainings or workshops provided to them.

 

In conclusion, I agree that poor communication not only attributes to inefficiency but also poor employee engagement and attrition. As a leader equipped with effective communication skills and critical thinking, the employees will be well taken care off and higher results of productivity will be seen.