Development of a Dual-Mode Fire Fighting Robot

Abstract

This paper presents a dual fire-fighting robot designed to operate in a variety of environments. Firefighting portends serious safety challenges and high-risk factors for human firefighters. The use of robots for such tasks will surmount these challenges if adequately applied. The dual-mode robotic system described here utilizes two types of fire suppression modes—automatic and manual. Equipped with sensors the robot detects the location and intensity of the fire and can navigate its way to extinguish it. In autonomous mode, the robot senses any occurrence of flame and approaches it and activates its water spraying system to put off the flames and reverse back to its detection/patrol operation. In manual operation, an operator controls the whole movement and the pumping action of the system remotely using a smart device or PC via a Wi-Fi network. The robot was tested in several simulated fire scenarios and demonstrated a high level of effectiveness in extinguishing fires. Results indicate the dual-mode firefighting robot has the potential for safety and efficiency improvement in fire suppression operations in a range of settings.