Science View
The Leading Edge: A New High-Tech Approach to Fighting Large Fires
2018 • E38 Oct 17, 2018 30m
About 40,000 fires occur annually in Japan, resulting in more than 1,500 deaths and damage estimated at nearly 1 billion dollars. Yet as research in the field of firefighting progresses, innovative new technologies are rapidly being developed. In order to deal with large fires in petrochemical facilities and densely populated areas, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency has developed a robot firefighting system equipped with artificial intelligence. After a small helicopter-type reconnaissance drone identifies the fire source from the sky, an unmanned water cannon robot will be able to extinguish the flames in an enormous fire that would be too dangerous for human firefighters to approach. Additionally, a special air fire engine is being developed to extinguish fire indoors by lowering the concentration of oxygen. We'll look at the forefront of firefighting technology that is making full use of advanced science!