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Robot Firefighter To Throw Extinguisher Grenades
S810 writes "Discovery News is running an article about the U.S. Navy developing a robot capable of 'throwing extinguisher grenades.' From the article: 'SAFFiR would need finger and hand coordination to wrestle fire hoses into place or accurately throw extinguisher grenades. It similarly would need the sure-footed balance of a veteran sailor's sea legs to confidently walk the wave-tossed decks of warships. An infrared camera could allow such a robot to see through smoke-filled hallways, and perhaps it could detect the location of fires through gas sensors. The robot's battery is intended to pack enough energy for half an hour of firefighting action.'"
Compare to the auto-belay devices on many climbing walls. A couple of falls, the second fatal, got a worldwide recall of the most popular brand. They've been redesigned to get rid of the fault and they're back, but they will wear out with age. But even before the recall, they were (according to climber friends) statistically more reliable than a human holding a rope.
So basically, they recalled a safety device that was more safe than a human, and replaced it with humans holding ropes, all in the name of safety.
In short: you're quite right.
Got them moderator blues I blieve I walk out the do', With these mod-points I been gettin', I 'most never post no mo'
Of course they did, but assuming they did removes the humor. :) Not everything should be serious.
Having been in the Navy for 14 years and forgetting the ship-board obstacles such as steep ladders, water-tight doors with their high step-over and the like, imagine the Navy red tape involved in:
I really cannot see this would be any help at all in a fire situation. Fires do not wait for robots. They are fast and furious. The fire drill is one of the most intense things that happens on a ship. There is no way that robot twiddle dum would get there on time with the robot operator having to maneuver it from cargo hold #3 to the engine room.... the ship could have been toast by that time.
I'm a Navy Vet. Engine rooms already have retardant/water systems as well as HALON in case things get really ugly. There are still lots of places onboard where it is impractical to plumb and route firefighting water, and water is by no means the best solution. Modern warships have lots of electronics (CO2 is far superior for electrical fires), and being that its, you know, a ship, pumping copious amounts of water inside is never a good idea. Keep in mind as well that this is a warship, and since warfighting often results in ruptured pipes onboard, only central trunks are wet, others are dry standpipes. Couple this with the fact that seawater is typically the water medium of choice (desalination is expensive and slow), and now you have a maintenance nightmare trying to ensure manual and automated valves stay in good condition.