Drone Fire-Fighting Tested in Nebraska (ap.org)

An anonymous reader writes: Friday Researchers at the University of Nebraska flew a drone over a prairie test site, dropping small containers the size of ping-pong balls to ignite controlled fires. "The fires clear out brush to make it easier to control wildfires on the prairie," reports the Associated Press, citing a National Park Service spokesperson who believes it could help clear overgrown vegetation in hard-to-reach areas. "The technology is already used by helicopters to start controlled burns," reports the AP, "but researchers note that the drone is cheaper and more portable. 'You could afford one of these on the back of your fire truck, whereas you probably can't afford to have a full-sized helicopter parked at your fire station,' said Carrick Detweiler, a member of the Nebraska research team."
One engineering professor tells the AP, "Imagine them having this in their backpack, pulling it out and telling it, 'Hey, go scout out there. Check whether it's hot. Check whether it's safe..." And this Omaha news site has video footage of the drone fire-fighting test.

Comments

easy man made fires? no more molotov cocktails!

[sittingnut]

"Imagine them having this in their backpack, pulling it out and telling it, 'Hey, go scout out there. Check whether it's hot. ..."
yeah imagine terrorist/protester/prankster/etc with backpack drone with fire-making ping-pong balls saying that.

Re:I know! Let's immolate every last bit ...

[ScentCone]

I know! Let's immolate every last bit of native habitat for bees and other worthless wildlife!

Does it physically hurt to be that much of a moron? Or is it more of a numbing effect, so you don't really know that's how you are?

The entire point of small controlled brush burns is to prevent the leaping, raging wildfires that DO destroy huge swaths of habitat. The most destructive fires we see are those that take place in areas where small brush fires have been continually extinguished, preserving the fuel that nature would normally have burned off along the way through lightning-strike fires and the like. Of course you know this, and you're just being a troll for trolling's sake, because you're a tool of a troll. But what do you get out of it, psychologically? Just curious what makes people like you feel better once you've spouted some nonsense like that. Do you get congratulations from other people? Do you read it later and smile because you were so clever? Really, what makes it worth the trouble? How does adding more ignorant-sounding nonsense to the public discourse improve your waking hours, personally? Please explain.