Despite the conspiracy theories, the first time we actually encounter a hovering disc in the sky equipped with advanced technology, it might be here to save us, not to enslave us.

The Firesound is a firefighting flying saucer. The bright yellow, meter wide, autonomous disc is designed to patrol parks and forests, constantly looking for danger using smoke sensors and thermal cameras. Unlike UFOs from 50s B-movies, however, it won’t shoot out the kind of laser beams that might spark a forest fire, the Firesound will blast low frequency sound waves to extinguish small fires before they can spread.

Around 90% of wildfires in the US are started by humans, some as deliberate acts of arson but most unintentionally. Throwing away a still-glowing cigarette or leaving a cooking fire to burn unattended can have disastrous consequences in a dry forest.