The Future of Firefighting is Robotic...and It's Coming Fast

SAFFIR The U.S. Navy's Firefighting Robot
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One of the things the fire in Notre Dame Cathedral introduced the world to was the future of firefighting, as the robotic firefighter, Colossus was used for the interior fire suppression inside the historic structure. (https://www.standard.co.uk/…/revealed-how-french-firefighte…)

Some think such machines are new.

They're not.

The U.S. Navy is already using robotics for shipboard firefighting. Fires onboard ships offer one of the most dangerous and inhospitable IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life & Health) environments firefighters can face.

Instead of staircases, the holds of ships often have 30' to 50' straight ladders between levels.

When there are fires in the lower levels, the heat is extreme and the air is very limited.

If robot tech can master that environment, they can master ANY fireground.

Eventually, robotics, like the Saffir robot being used by the U.S. Navy (https://youtu.be/V9lBxT0jLEo) will be used exclusively in fire suppression and rescue.

Robotic firefighters aren't exclusive to France and the U.S. Navy, China, the UAE, the Netherlands among many other nations are engaged in this pursuit, as robots and drones offer more efficient and cost effective approaches to firefighting.

As A.I. (Artificial intelligence) improves, so will such robotic devices and cities will save a TON. Robots don't get injured, or sick. They need neither pensions, nor medical benefits...just a bit of routine maintenance.

The days of humans engaging in aggressive interior attack will soon be over. Human firefighters will soon (almost certainly within 10 to 15 years) go the way of human Bank tellers, replaced by ATM's, human cashiers, replaced by Self Checkouts and human ditch diggers, replaced by heavy equipment.

The last of the "aggressive, interior attack" human firefighters are passing from the scene. There'll come a time when people won't believe humans ever went into fires, just as a new generation can't imagine pay phone booths and a world without cell phones.

The only thing those who care can do is...invest in companies involved in robotics, like COGNEX, NICE Ltd., Rockwell Automation and ROBO Global.

There is no stopping the March of technology.
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