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/
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