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
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
No comments:
Post a Comment