Okay, we have said this over and over again, that there are many jobs that humans are going to lose to robots. Although with the coming of firefighting robots firefighting job has become one, it is unlikely that many people would worry that we are losing that specific jobs because of the safety of everyone involved in both sides of the fire.
From the London tower tragedy to the Portugal wildfire to the unending California wildfires and the unending fire tragedy in different parts of the world, the problem has gradually gone out of proportion as a result of climatic change among other things. Because of that, many companies and individuals have been working towards creating robots that would help in fighting fire. Many that have been created include humanoid firefighting robots,
Inasmuch as there is a limitation as to what firefighting robots could do, based on their build and design, they may be more efficient than humans. And of course, there is also the lesser risk of the loss of life for firefighters.
Here are some firefighting robots that have been created
Thermite 3.0
This may yet be one of the most effective firefighting robots that has been created thus far. One of the first times we have heard of the Thermite tracked firefighting robot was in 2012 when it was designed by a Maine-based Howe and Howe Technologies. The version then, had the capabilities of giving out 600 gallons per minute as it stands at 4.5 feet tall and weighing 1,640 pounds.
The 3.0 which is designed by the same company can pump 2,500 gallons in every minute. Considering the strength of water it pumps out, it would take up to 8 men to be able to control it. Nevertheless, the 3.0 is able to do all the fiery job by itself.
This has a capability of withstanding very high temperature considering the fact that it was created using the kind of aluminum sheet that was used in creating aircraft. More so, the robotic firefighter is small enough to make it through a 36″ wide door and fit easily into an elevator.
TAF 20 Firefighting Robots
One can operate the TAF 20 robot from a distance of 500 meters (1,640 feet), helping to keep firefighters out of harm’s way completely.
The robot which was created for a factory fire in Sydney is able to pump water at up to 90 meters (295 feet) and 60 meters (197 feet) of foam. What this means is that it can shoot water the length of a football field.
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What stands this out from the crowd of many others is that it comes with a fan that can help in clearing the smoke as well as a blade that can clear off obstacles in its way including cars. The bulldozer-looking firefighter which costs A$310,000 (US$222,131) was launched in 2015.
WALK-MAN
Another humanoid, this robot was created by IIT-Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Italy to assist firefighters. This project which began in 2013 and was completed in 2015, was sponsored by European Union to be remotely controlled by a human.
Unlike many others, with the WALK-MAN, the controller wears a suit that is equipped with sensors and control its movement and activities. More so, it comes with both video cameras as well as a microphone.
Standing at a height of 1.85 meters tall (6 ft.) and weighing 102 kg (225 lb), this is able to withstand a great heat considering that it is made from magnesium alloys and composite materials. Another advantage it has with this kind of body is that it makes it possible for it to move rather fast.
The main purpose of this is not necessarily to fight fire but to assess the disaster and pass on the images captured. More so, it can activate extinguishers.
A robot created for the Mumbai Fire Brigade
This nameless robot has recently been unveiled by the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) with the capabilities of helping out in very critical situations. This is because the robot can both put out fire in very tall buildings just as it can withstand much heat than humans.
Made with an aluminum sheet, the robot can be controlled with a remote and it has a camera through which it can capture what it sees and show to its controllers. The great thing about the robot is that it can control fire that is as high as on the 30th floor of a building because it can get out water to reach a height of 55 meters.
As regards its strength to withstand fire, the robot can handle up to 700 centigrade of temperature. While the name is yet to be given, the robot is created by Joseph Leslie & Co LLP and its partner Magirus Germany.
Explosion proof firefighting robot
Created by Wei’s Technology Pty Ltd in Australia, this is a very interesting robot most especially because of its ability to withstand an explosion. The robot is designed to can shoot water at a length of 85m at 1.2Mpa and it is able to be controlled remotely from a distance of 3 Kms in line of site and 500m when there is any obstruction.
While not necessarily the largest out there, this robot has great strength. It comes with a heat eye detection that is useful in monitoring. Also, it can take two 60m long water hoses as well as cannons that have automatic spraying function. You can decide to either use water spraying function or foam.
Finally, the robot has a battery that can last for 12 hours.
Firefighter robots designed as institutions projects
Inasmuch as there are many robots that have been designed to serve the real world purpose, there are others designed in higher institutions of learning.
Turkish Students Firefighting Robot
Another attempt at creating a robot that can fight fire was done by students of the faculty of electronics from the Osmangazi University in 2017. Although the robot was still in its prototype stage, it was created within 3 months and with the capabilities of getting access to places that normally will be hard for humans in fire situations.
The specifications of the robot are still sketchy.
MyBOT2000
While this is the first firefighter robot to make it out of Malaysia, it has not got as much attention as it should, probably because there is yet to be any serious attempt at taking it “mainstream.”
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The Malaysia Fire Fighting Robot (MyBOT2000) was created by a group of researchers from the Universiti Terbuka Anak Muda in Malaysia as far back as 2013. It comes with cameras, sensors, as well as other communication devices.
At the time of the production of this robot, its capabilities were still under the average most especially as regards the strength.
