Hero drone can fly into fires and save lives
- 10 months ago
A hero drone that can fly into fires and save lives is being developed.
Researchers from Imperial College London and Swiss research institute Empa are working on a heat-resistant drone that can analyse the source of danger at close range in the event of a building or forest fire.
This allows firefighters to optimise the strategy of a high-risk operation before entering the danger zone.
The researchers say that traditional drones flying close to fire can see the frame melting and electronics stop functioning.
David Häusermann of Empa's Sustainability Robotics lab says: "To fly closer, the extreme heat generated by a fire is too great for conventional drones.
"More than aerial photos of the fire site from a safe distance are not possible with commercial drones."
The researcher's goal, therefore, was to develop a drone that could withstand the heat and thus provide fast and accurate data from the centre of the hot spot.
Thanks to its insulating jacket made of aerogel, the so-called FireDrone can collect and forward data from the scene of a fire during a fire mission, even in extremely hot conditions.
EMPA explain: "Where others rush out, they have to go in: Firefighters put themselves in dangerous situations during rescue operations – sometimes right in the midst of a sea of flames.
"Since temperatures in a burning building can reach lethal levels of around 1,000 degrees Celsius, it is essential to avoid any unnecessary risk. Flying robots could support such missions."
Mirko Kovac, head of Empa's Sustainability Robotics Laboratory and the Aerial Robotics Lab at Imperial College London says: "Before they go directly into the danger zone, the firefighters naturally don't know what exactly awaits them and what difficulties they will encounter."
Drones equipped with cameras and CO2 (carbon dioxide) sensors could provide important information about the distribution of fire sources, unexpected hazards or trapped people.
Drones are already being used to fight fires, taking aerial photos, lifting fire hoses onto skyscrapers or dropping extinguishing agents in remote areas, for example to contain the spread of forest fires - but only at a safe distance from the source of the fire.
David Häusermann worked with firefighters to determine the requirements of a drone in a fire mission and set out to find a material that could protectively surround the heart of the drone – the motors, batteries, sensors and electronics.
He found what he was looking for with colleagues from Empa's Building Energy Materials and Components lab. The researchers, led by Shanyu Zhao and Wim Malfait, were able to synthesise an insulating material that can withstand high temperatures and thus make the drone more fire-resistant.
Researchers from Imperial College London and Swiss research institute Empa are working on a heat-resistant drone that can analyse the source of danger at close range in the event of a building or forest fire.
This allows firefighters to optimise the strategy of a high-risk operation before entering the danger zone.
The researchers say that traditional drones flying close to fire can see the frame melting and electronics stop functioning.
David Häusermann of Empa's Sustainability Robotics lab says: "To fly closer, the extreme heat generated by a fire is too great for conventional drones.
"More than aerial photos of the fire site from a safe distance are not possible with commercial drones."
The researcher's goal, therefore, was to develop a drone that could withstand the heat and thus provide fast and accurate data from the centre of the hot spot.
Thanks to its insulating jacket made of aerogel, the so-called FireDrone can collect and forward data from the scene of a fire during a fire mission, even in extremely hot conditions.
EMPA explain: "Where others rush out, they have to go in: Firefighters put themselves in dangerous situations during rescue operations – sometimes right in the midst of a sea of flames.
"Since temperatures in a burning building can reach lethal levels of around 1,000 degrees Celsius, it is essential to avoid any unnecessary risk. Flying robots could support such missions."
Mirko Kovac, head of Empa's Sustainability Robotics Laboratory and the Aerial Robotics Lab at Imperial College London says: "Before they go directly into the danger zone, the firefighters naturally don't know what exactly awaits them and what difficulties they will encounter."
Drones equipped with cameras and CO2 (carbon dioxide) sensors could provide important information about the distribution of fire sources, unexpected hazards or trapped people.
Drones are already being used to fight fires, taking aerial photos, lifting fire hoses onto skyscrapers or dropping extinguishing agents in remote areas, for example to contain the spread of forest fires - but only at a safe distance from the source of the fire.
David Häusermann worked with firefighters to determine the requirements of a drone in a fire mission and set out to find a material that could protectively surround the heart of the drone – the motors, batteries, sensors and electronics.
He found what he was looking for with colleagues from Empa's Building Energy Materials and Components lab. The researchers, led by Shanyu Zhao and Wim Malfait, were able to synthesise an insulating material that can withstand high temperatures and thus make the drone more fire-resistant.