FireDrone produces first heat-resistant drone

(CONNECT) The first heat-resistant drone is set to help firefighters in particular make quick and informed decisions in the future. The flying robot was developed at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). The start-up FireDrone is continuing the project. The Dübendorf-based spin-off from Empa and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne receives support from various funding programs such as Venture Kick, Gebert Rüf Stiftung and Innovation Booster Robotics.

"Today, firefighters have to enter burning buildings themselves to locate hazardous substances or missing persons," says Fabian Wiesemüller from Empa's Laboratory for Sustainability Robotics and co-founder of the start-up company, quoted in a report from his research institute. "With the FireDrone, we can send a drone into hazardous areas for the first time to do just that and thus significantly minimize the risk during firefighting operations." In the future, the FireDrone could also inspect cement or steel works and waste incineration plants during operation.

The FireDrone flies at temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius. It is protected by patented insulation made of ultra-light aerogel. Empa has spent years researching their chemical composition - from the selection of starting materials to polymerization and solvent processes. The FireDrone also has an internal temperature management system that continuously cools and monitors the electronics.

The team is also developing the FireDrone Nest, a mobile, thermally insulated docking and maintenance station. "The step from research project to practice would not have been possible without Empa's many years of support," says Wiesemüller. "Now it's about putting the technology into real-life applications." Tests in real environments are already underway. ce/mm