Students of Novosibirsk State Technical University (NETI) are creating an unmanned firefighting robot to extinguish fires in forests and enterprises.
The development is a robotic complex that has two parts: a trailer and a head mounted on a tracked transmission. The extinguishing mechanism itself is similar to a tennis ball cannon: there are fire "bombs" in the trailer, which pass through the conveyor belt to the firing zone — the cannon itself. The robot will be able to detect and extinguish fire from a distance of at least 30 meters and travel at a speed of 15 km/h.
"The special features of our project are that the robot has an excavator blade, which allows to clear the road if necessary, an additional trailer with a compartment for bombs and a system for their ejection using a conveyor. It will also be equipped with artificial intelligence so that the robot can use temperature sensors to determine where the fire is located. The modular design can be easily assembled and disassembled, and additional equipment can be installed, such as a fire hose. Due to its small size, the robot is maneuverable, which is important when traveling in the forest," said Daniil Churstvin, one of the developers, a student at the Faculty of Mechanics and Technology.
According to him, "bombs" are effective as a fire extinguishing agent. They are filled with a special powder, which is sprayed upon explosion and extinguishes the fire. The bomb itself is small, weighs about one and a half kilograms and can extinguish a fire with an area of seven cubic meters.
The development is primarily aimed at extinguishing forest fires and preventing the spread of fire. The robot can also be used in industries where there is a high risk of fire.
At the moment, work on the 3D model of the trailer and the head unit is almost complete, and the device of fire bombs is being considered. There are plans to conduct interviews with firefighters to identify the specifics and subtleties of the work of the crews, which will help improve the prototype. The students want to present a working prototype by mid-August.
According to the results of the student project competition held at the end of last year at NSTU-NETI, the project of an unmanned firefighter robot took 3rd place in the Engineering Projects nomination (junior league).