The rotorcraft flying robot is working above the building in the fire drill. (Image/SIA)

Recently, a fire drill was performed by researchers at Shenyang Institute of Automation (SIA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), simulating fire scenes in high-rise buildings and around the city. During the exercise, the rotorcraft flying robot system for fire scene monitoring and emergency treatment developed by SIA realized precise positioning of ignition source and fire scene monitoring in complex environment. The system demonstrates high maneuverability and sound operability, and can meet the demands of fire monitoring and emergency treatment of fire accidents in and around cities.

Based on in-depth survey of several serious fire accidents in China, researchers of SIA cooperated with Shanghai Fire Research Institute and Shenyang Fire Research Institute of Ministry of Public Security in developing the robot. Oriented to fire scenes in special environments, the robot possesses strong environmental adaptability, can carry infra-red sensor and visible light sensor, and is capable of sending back fire scene situation in real time, providing important analysis and decision making information for fire officers.

Through the external sensors of radar, laser and sonar it carried, and based on its own pose information and fire scene situation, the rotorcraft flying robot achieved precise positioning of ignition source under smoky environment in the infra-red images it sent back, calculating the longitude, latitude and altitude of the ignition source. Meanwhile, the whole picture of the drill scene was delivered to exercise conductors through visible light and infra-red images, without any shielding angle.

Research on automatic identification and evasion technology of the rotorcraft flying robot were also included in the project, aiming at toxic gas and heat current in the fire scene, the system’s feasibility of fire extinguishment to the initial ignition source was also discussed.　  (Dai Tianjiao)