Summary/Reader Response Draft 1

Little's article "Firefighting Robots Go Autonomous" (2021) informs us that dangerous firefighting tasks are carried out by firefighting drones. These drones come in varying shapes and sizes, ranging from military tank-like wagons weighing two tons to lightweight drones that can fly. Every year, around three thousand Americans lose their lives in 350,000 households and wildfires, of which 80 are firefighters. With the introduction of firefighting drones that can enter burning buildings with temperature and smoke hazards deemed too dangerous, countless lives could have been saved. Little reported that these drones in operation are currently remote-controlled, but autonomous, self-driven intelligent drones are in development by researchers. The real issue that is holding these drones from going fully autonomous is not the matter of technological advancement but a lack of investment funds due to disinterest from investors. A group of university students have worked to change this using commonly available materials to create a firefighting drone named R2-D2. The features that come with R2-D2 are a heat-sensing and distance navigational camera. The heat-sensing camera helps to locate the source of ignition. A signal is sent to the water nozzle to put out the flame. And as for the navigational camera, it helps the drone manoeuvre around obstacles and terrain. The firefighting department in America should work closely with the students from New York University to accelerate the progress of drone production. If successful, the production cost of firefighting drones in the current market will fall to an affordable price range, allowing more firefighting departments to deploy drones in firefighting, hence saving countless lives. 

Currently, there are 12 wildfires burning in nearly five states covering acres of 280,000 Fialka(2022).  This fuels the increased demand for remote-controlled firefighting technologies since the 2000s. The main challenge these machines face is institutional reluctance to invest in devices tailored to meet these varying niche needs. "This is not a technological problem. It’s more of a socioeconomic problem, " says Neil Sahota, an inventor who advises the United Nations on artificial intelligence issues. The issue lies with the production cost of these drones. Unlike ordinary drones that can be found on the market, firefighting drones are made from military-grade materials in order to withstand the heat while protecting the inner sensors. The constraint on using specialised materials results in a spike in production costs. The Matrice 210, an IP43 water and dust-resistant quadcopter with dual redundant batteries for extra flight time and safety, as well as multi-payload options, can set you back $85,000. (Drone Fly, 2021). In addition to the hefty price tag, the firefighting department needs to consider the probability that the drone could suffer irreparable damage during the operation, further adding to the socioeconomic problem of investment.

Researchers are working to change this as a group of students from Cornell University are using widely available off-the-shelf materials as a supplement to the highly expensive military-grade material used by a conventional firefighting drone. The drone designed by the university student shared great similarities with the existing drone model named R2-D2. The device is equipped with a water tank and a shoebox-sized PC. Incoming data from onboard sensors is used to navigate the drone without colliding with the environment. The drone is fitted with a thin arm that extends above the chassis and may bend at multiple angles, even making twists that are too extreme for a human limb to handle. During a recent demonstration, the drone was able to get its geospatial bearings in a room before getting into position to scan the walls in search of a heat source. When the source of heat is detected, it can rotate its arm to aim the nozzle and spray water preciously on the hotspot. The autonomous firefighter can be built for around $40,000 to $50,000—even as little as $10,000—by using less-expensive components (Loianno, 2021). The drone developed by the student is 30 times cheaper than the cost of some firefighting bots currently in use.

However, the autonomous bot has yet to be tested in a real-world fire, and mobility is a major complication (Sahota, 2021). It will be difficult to fully gauge the drone's combat ability without it undergoing months of vigorous testing. Despite having an autonomous function in drones, there will be scenarios where human-based decisions and inputs are required. Hence, drones will never replace firefighters (White, 2021). Instead, it serves as a tool for humans to make effective strategies without risking their lives.

In conclusion, the use of firefighter drones has an essential role in firefighting. The drones can assist firefighters in finding survivors, entering dangerous environments, and putting out fires. However, due to the current socioeconomic problem firefighting drones are relatively expensive and most fire departments are reluctant to equip themselves with drones. With increased demand and interest from firefighting departments in America and brilliant researchers from Cornell University, we might be able to witness more drones being deployed for firefighting resulting from the lower entry cost.

References

DroneFly (2021), Industry Focus: Drones for Fire Departments

https://www.dronefly.com/blogs/news/industry-focus-drones-for-fire-departments/

Jane Braxton Little (2021), Firefighting Robots Go Autonomous

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/firefighting-robots-go-autonomous/

John Fialka (2022), New Drones Could Spot Wildfires Earlier, Even Help Snuff Them Out

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-drones-could-spot-wildfires-earlier-even-help-snuff-them-out/#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Forest%20Service%20is,for%20a%20long%2C%20hot%20summer.