Firefighting robotic proof-of-concept levitates on streams of high-pressure water

Researchers from Tohoku University and the National Institute of Technology, Hachinohe College in Japan have pulled the wraps off a new firefighting robot that looks like a very long snake. This robot can get itself into buildings to help put out flames using streams of water that squirt out in multiple directions. Those streams of water allow the robot to float off the floor on the power of the high-pressure streams.

The streams of water shoot out of steerable nozzles along the length of the hose. The streams of water don’t have to spray onto the ground to produce the lift needed for the snake bot to fly. The robot can go as high as operators want if it has enough hose.

Each of the nozzles is capable of firing independently for steering to allow the hose to fit through smaller gaps and obstructions. The body of the hose keeping itself aloft with water streams also has the side effect of drenching everything else nearby to keep flames from sprouting up again.

The video at the bottom of the story shows a 2-meter long prototype of the robot in action. The design allows extension to whatever length is needed for the situation by adding more segments of hose. Pressure for the water is generated by a gas engine and compressor providing water at 0.7 MPa.

While the prototype robot is completely functional, this is a proof-of-concept design. Researchers admit that the control algorithms are not sophisticated and they need the robot to be more stable, controllable, and able to handle more modules before it’s ready to work. Something like this would certainly have benefit for fighting fires a long way inside buildings where it’s too dangerous for humans to go.

SOURCE: Spectrum