summary Reader Responds Draft #3

 

The article "Firefighting robots go autonomous" (Little.2021), discussed the capabilities of these robots and the benefits of these machines. With more than 350,000 American homes burning annually and climate change contributing to 10,000 active daily wildfires worldwide. Robots can offer some respite to firefighters entering blazing buildings or traversing steep mountains. Over 3000 Americans die from fires annually, which includes an average of 80 firefighters (Little. 2021). With technological advancement, firefighters are now equipped with robots to aid their work. The Los Angeles City Fire Department can be seen using robots to aid them, one of the robots is the Robot System 3 (RS3). The $300,000 RS3 was funded by the American Firefighting Foundation, the unit is capable of blasting water 10 times the rate of a conventional fire hose and has four cameras that can show where the water is being sprayed and thermal sensory capability that can detect victims (Little,2021). The LAFD assistant chief Wade White stated that " it has met some of these real-world mobility challenges and proved useful by dragging hose lines up steep hills and even pulling horses out of mud quagmires."(Little,2021,para.7) , According to Eastern Kentucky University online ,the main function of a firefighting robot is to be able to analyse and find flames, carry out search and rescue operations, keep an eye on potentially dangerous factors, and perform the main work of controlling and suppressing fires. Despite RS3 having several limitations and cost inefficiency, the capability of being able to spray water from a great distance and being able to tow items up to 8000pounds are essential to reduce the risk of death of firefighter.

 

Because of the RS3 being able to spray water from a great distance, the first features of the RS3 that can reduce the risk of fire fighter is the nozzle that equid with camara that can assist firefighter from a distance to locate the fire. It also can eject form or water with a speed of 2500 gallons per minute (Giuliani-Hoffman,2022). The functionalities eliminate the need for firefighters to enter the fire zone first, therefore reducing the risk of them losing their lives. These functions can also be seen in other tank like robots which is used by the New South Wales Fire Rescue Teams (FRNSW), Turbine Aided Firefighting 20 (TAF20), Minister for Emergency Services David Elliott and Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Commissioner Greg Mullins states that AUD$310,000 is funded by the NSW government to build the TAF20. The nozzle of TAF20 can eject 3500 of water in one minute (EKU online, 2020). Like the RS3 TUF20 can be controlled manually by firefighter 500 meters away (EKU online,2020). The efficacy of the RS3 nozzle is nearly three times greater than the TAF20, even though both robots have identical features and are in the same price range. This has proved that the RS3 is superior to other comparable robots and has the capacity to lower firefighter danger.

 

Another feature that the firefighting robot is capable of towing items up to 8000 pounds Giuliani-Hoffman (2021) states that the winch of the RS3 have the strength to tow 8000 pounds that can pull away any obstacle blocking its way and “Its low center of gravity allows it to climb over rough terrain” (Giuliani-Hoffman,2020, para4). This feature allows the robot to move away obstacle and with the help of infrared camera it can help firefighters to locate the casualties before they are sent into the building or terrain. When compared to its organic brother Thermite Robot System 1 (RS1), the winch of RS1 can only handle 5000lb and have a speed of 6mph while RS3 have a speed of 8mph (Howe & Howe,n.d). From the data given by the organic company RS3 can do more heavy-duty stuff than RS1, which have proved that RS3 is better than its competitors in the market and this functions that RS3 have can reduce the death of firefighters.

The RS3 is an excellent firefighting robot, yet it still has limitations. The robots are immobile since they require a hose to provide water to extinguish the fire. According to Little, a group of students created a firefighting robot that can carry a water tank and a PC during the Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge. Its camera can identify and avoid obstacles, and it has a heat-sensor to detect and extinguish fires, like the RS3. Most importantly, this robot can be built with $40000 to $50000. This means that the new firefighting robots can solve the limitations that the RS3 has, and it is cheaper than RS3. However, the new robots are still prototypes that have not been used in real-life situations; thus, in the present market, I feel the RS3 are still the best Robots.

 

In conclusion, I believe that robots are unable to fully replace humans in the current market, but after comparing three tank-like robots that have been developed, the functions of the RS3 are superior to all the other robots, making it the most capable of reducing the risk of life for the firefighters. According to Winton (2020), LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas told Los Angeles Times “I can afford to lose one of these wonderful machines, I cannot afford to lose a firefighter” (Winton,2020, para.5). This has demonstrated that human life is the primary priority of the firefighting profession, and despite its limits and high cost, the RS3 can minimize firefighter danger.

 

Reference.

Fire and Rescue NSW (2020, May 22). New Firefighting Robot can take the heat, https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/news.php?news=2312

Firefighting robot joins LA force. (2021, December 15). Government Computer News, https://gcn.com/emerging-tech/2020/10/firefighting-robot-joins-la-force/315709/

Giuliani-Hoffman, F. (2020, October 21). The firefighting robots is here – and it has already helped fight a major fire in Los Angeles. CNN business. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/21/business/first-firefighting-robot-in-america-lafd-trnd/index.html

Howe and Howe (N.d). Thermite RS3, https://www.howeandhowe.com/civil/thermite#related-resources

Little, J. B. (2021, October 29). Firefighting Robots Go Autonomous. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/firefighting-robots-go-autonomous/

 

 

The use of robotics in Firefighting. EKU Online. (2020, July 22), from https://safetymanagement.eku.edu/blog/the-use-of-robotics-in-firefighting/#:~:text=Robotic%20firefighting%20systems%20are%20designed,of%20fire%20control%20and%20suppression.

 

Winton. R (2020, October 14). L.A.'s new firefighting robot is the first of its

kind in the U.S. - and can go where humans can't. Los Angeles

Times. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-13/los-angeles-fire-departments-robot-goes-where-firefighters-cant