In mythology the dragon breathes fire. But researchers are now proposing to dispel the legend with a dragon-shaped robot capable of putting out the flames.
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[EN VIDÉO] 20 years of fires around the world summarized in 30 seconds. This is what the earth looks like in the midst of the flames. This is not a scenario…
A dragon that does not breathe the flames with fire, but rather extinguishes them with jets of water. This is what researchers from Professor Satoshi Tadokoro's laboratory at Tohoku University (Japan) imagined. And this fun flying dragon robot could soon help firefighters around the world put out those hard-to-reach fires. The plans for the Dragon Firefighter are published in the journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI and are available to any roboticist on the planet who would like to use them.
A dragon robot to support the work of firefighters
Before reaching this conclusion, the researchers worked with firefighters for several years to better understand their needs. The result: a four-meter-long dragon that is propelled upwards by jets of water issuing from its body and head. With the ability to direct the beams at the flames. And project 6.6 liters of water per second with a pressure of up to one megapascal. You can position the kite with an integrated camera. Everything is controlled remotely and is connected to a 14,000 liter water tank.
Since its first public demonstration in 2020, the Dragon Firefighter has been improved. It has become more waterproof, the problem of plastic deformation when heated has been solved, the water flow is better channeled, and the dragon robot needs less time to prepare for flight. Further developments are underway.
A little patience before you put out fires with the dragon robot
And researchers estimate it will be about another decade before their dragon robot is used in real-world firefighting scenarios. The biggest challenge remains to extend the range beyond 10 meters. But firefighters and scientists are already working to develop firefighting tactics tailored to this robot's unique capabilities.