flying machine firedrone goes in burning buildings during rescue missions

Flying machine ‘firedrone’ helps in rescue missions

FireDrone is an aerogel-covered flying machine that can help firefighters in rescue missions by surveying for victims inside burning buildings. The assistive device aims to be the ‘flying eye’ in extreme environments so humans can be sure of who are and what is inside a site before going in. The FireDrone flying machine resembles a small quadcopter with its four arms and spinning propellers, but unlike regular drones, the parts of the device are built to survive high temperatures. Normal drones can stop working at about 40 degrees Celsius because their plastic frames bend and their electronics overheat, while the FireDrone can fly in temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius, making it suitable for fires, burning buildings, tunnels, and hot industrial sites.

What makes it weather the heat is the exterior covered with aerogel, which is extremely light and is mostly made of air trapped inside tiny pores. These air pockets slow down heat, helping to protect what is inside, and in the flying machine FireDrone, the aerogel is made from a heat-resistant plastic called polyimide. This material can handle high temperatures without melting or breaking. Instead of using many separate parts, the insulation is cast as one solid piece that wraps around the drone’s sensitive components. Inside the shell are the device’s motors, batteries, computers, and sensors. These parts are sensitive to heat, so the team also includes an internal cooling and temperature control system that checks how hot the electronics are and helps keep them within safe limits.

all images courtesy of Empa

Captured live images are sent to screen on remote control

Created by researchers at Empa, a Swiss research institute, and now being developed further by a start-up company, the flying machine FireDrone is an aid to rescue missions because when a fire, smoke, toxic gases, and collapsing structures make it hard and risky to enter buildings, the device can go in and inspect the site first. The drone carries an infrared camera that shows heat instead of normal light, and this allows firefighters to see where the fire is hottest and to find people who may be trapped, even in thick smoke. The live images are sent to a screen on the remote control, so several team members can watch at the same time from a safe distance.

The flying machine FireDrone also works as an inspection device for other industries, such as cement plants, steel factories, or waste-burning facilities, especially during the time when the machines are still hot. The team says that the device uses in-house navigation and pilot assistance systems that help it understand where it is without satellites, making it still work in tunnels, large halls, and spaces where signals may seem weak. The future plans of the team involve having the flying machine FireDrone work with a mobile docking station called the FireDrone Nest. This station can be built into a fire truck, and after a mission, the drone can land automatically, cool down, recharge, and prepare for the next flight or emergencies.

FireDrone is an aerogel-covered flying machine that can help firefighters in rescue missions