Researchers from Imperial College London and Empa have created a heat resistant drone that can enter burning buildings.

The so-called FireDrone is a prototype drone that is heat-resistant and designed to enter burning buildings or woodlands to assess hazards and offer first responders intel about danger zones, thus informing their emergency response. Sent into a fire ahead of first responders, the FireDrone can reportedly note if humans are trapped inside, can notify first responders about unexpected hazards and map layouts of the building.

Empa

Composed of thermal aerogel insulation material, the FireDrone also features an onboard cooling system that enables it to withstand temperatures up to 200° C for 10 minutes.

The drone features a protective structural shell composed of lightweight, thermally super insulating materials such as polyimide aerogel and glass fibers coated in super-reflecting aluminum, which, as the name suggests, reflects heat.

Critical temperature-sensitive components of the drone — regular and infrared cameras, radio receivers, CO₂ sensors, video transmitters, flight controllers and batteries, among others — are built into the protective shell of the drone, the researchers explained.

An article detailing the drone, “FireDrone: Multi‐Environment Thermally Agnostic Aerial Robot,” appears in the journal Advanced Intelligent Systems.

For more on the FireDrone, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of Imperial College London.