Also it can be used in very cold environments
A new fire-resistant drone, dubbed the FireDrone, has been unveiled that can help firefighters by investigating burning buildings so people know what they’re up against.
The experimental quadcopter is being developed by scientists from Imperial College London and the Swiss research institute Empa. Unlike conventional drones, it can withstand temperatures up to 200°C for up to 10 minutes.
The heat resistance of an aircraft is mainly due to the insulating layer of airgel that forms the shell surrounding its electronics. Created specifically for the project, the porous gel consists of air pockets in a matrix of polyimide plastic, silica and fiberglass, the latter providing structural reinforcement. The aluminum outer shell further helps reflect heat away from the drone.
Unique drone FireDrone presented: it can withstand temperatures up to 200 ° C
Along with the battery, controller, video transmitter and radio receiver, the FireDrone received a conventional and infrared camera and a CO 2 sensor . The creators of the drone said it can transmit data in real time, such as the distribution of fire sources, the location of hazards to avoid and the location of trapped people.
The FireDrone has already been successfully tested at the firefighter training center, with more tests planned in the future. Once commercialized, the drone could also be used to assess forest fires or, thanks to insulating airgel, even for reconnaissance in very cold conditions.
“The use of drones is often limited by environmental factors such as temperature,” said lead researcher Prof. Mirko Kovacs. “We are demonstrating a way to overcome this and are convinced that our results will help unlock the future power of drones for extreme environments.”
