Even for nigh-unstoppable badasses like smokejumpers, there are some fires that are just too dangerous to get up-close-and-personal with to fight — be that because of live ordinance, chemicals, gas leaks, or whatever else. But the folks at Millrem Robotics and InnoVfoam have teamed up on a solution: an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) they’ve dubbed the Multiscope Rescue.
Rather than using Artificial Intelligence to pilot these bots, the firms have chosen to go with remote piloting — giving pilots access to standard video cameras, thermal imaging, and infrared to navigate through smoke, flames, and debris. They also have a payload capacity of nearly 2,650 lbs and a 4,720 lbs pull force — allowing them to haul either water or foam firefighting apparatuses (capable of dispensing up to 20,000 liters per minute) and can even include tethered drones for better on-site visibility. It’s hard to be sure, but these robotic innovations could change the firefighting landscape forever and for the better.
