Slashdot Mirror
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.'"
"The robot's battery is intended to pack enough energy for half an hour of firefighting action." ... and then it explodes releasing toxic chemicals everywhere.
I'm curious about how the public would really react to robots like this doing dangerous jobs - be it rescue robots, firefighting robots, or even the recently hotly-discussed automated (self-driving) cars. The first time one of these robots slips up and someone dies (or is left to die), public outcry will be swift and harsh.
Nothing is more dangerous than a programmer with a screwdriver.
Yep, I bet nobody designing and building a robot to fight fires would have considered the impact of heat on the battery pack.
Because "high temperatures" wouldn't be part of the intended operating environment. At all.
Once again, an armchair Slashdotter proves more intelligent than dozens of scientists and engineers who, of course, never would have thought of this as a potential concern or operating constraint!
I would think that an arm capable of throwing a grenade of some sort would be the same arm that is capable of manipulating a standard fire hose. Single tool multiple use.
A bomb tearing through the deck can make a mess of a sprinkler system.
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
There are many places where one could make use of a robot, for example near burning aircraft loaded with munitions.
Watch some of the "Forrestal fire" videos where responding seaman are blown away and incinerated to see why the Navy is interested. Likewise, you could seal a compartment with a robot inside while it continued to fight a fire which would suffocate a human crew.
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