A team of researchers from assorted universities in Japan — including Akita Prefectural University, Tohoku University and Osaka University — are working to develop a flying firefighting robot.

A prototype of the so-called Dragon Firefighter is a 4 m long, remotely controlled flying firehose robot, designed to extinguish fires in buildings, safely and efficiently.

Source: Tadokoro Laboratory, Tohoku University, Japan

According to its developers, the Dragon Firefighter's firehose is propelled upward at 2 m above ground via eight controllable jets of water, which spout from the robot’s head and center. Meanwhile, the robot’s firehose can shape shift in the direction of flames via a control unit located in a wheeled cart behind the hose that is connected to a fire truck featuring a water reservoir of 14,000 l.

The researchers explained that as the nozzles spout water at 6.6 ls per second with a pressure of up to 1 megapascal, the tip of the hose uses a conventional and thermal imaging camera to help locate the fire.

Although the Dragon Firefighter robot has been in development for some time — even making its debut at the opening ceremony of the World Robot Summit 2020 (WRS2020), held in September 2021 in Fukushima, where it successfully extinguished the ceremonial flame — its developers believe it will be another 10 years before it will be ready for deployment in realistic firefighting scenarios.

"The primary challenge will be to extend its reach to beyond 10 m. Developing effective firefighting tactics tailored to this robot's unique capabilities will likewise be a critical aspect of further development," the team added.

An article detailing the firefighting robot, “Development of a remotely controllable 4 m long aerial-hose-type firefighting robot,” appears in the journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI.

For more information on the firefighting robot, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of Tohoku University.