Some good news for people living in northern China's Hebei Province. A new superhero will come to
their rescue during fire breakouts, a robot fireman with camera
eyes and infrared transducer.
It is the first robot firefighter ever employed in Hebei, says
Li Xinbao, head of the fire control department of the provincial
capital Shijiazhuang, according to reports by Hebei Youth
Daily on Wednesday.
"Although not big in size, the robot can break into fire sites
such as tank storage houses and chemical factories, which are too
dangerous for humans." says Li Xinbao.
With a wireless remote control, the automatic fireman can
advance at 3.6 kilometers per hour, climb 30-degree slopes, and
pass over barriers of 25-centimeter high.
Its major fire extinguishing weapon is a water cannon that
stretches 65 meters.
"Besides spraying water forward, the cannon can spray water to
areas of 4 meters in diameter," the veteran fireman says.
"The water spray keeps fire and smoke out by forming a cover for
firemen when they enter the fire sites."
What make the robot really different from traditional fire
engines are the camera eyes and the infrared transducer.
The camera on the robot rotates while transmitting images and
sound of the fire sites while other equipments in the eyes detect
temperatures, wind directions and components of the smoke.
With the infrared transducer, the super fireman can "feel" the
infrared radiation signals emitted by victims in the fire
sites.
"The robot is quite helpful in working out a plan to combat the
fire," Li notes.
While rescuing others' lives, the robot can also take care of
itself. For Example, the sprinklers on its body and tires can
squirt water to cool itself down when temperature gets too
high.
Reports say that similar fire fighting robots have been put in
use across the country. In Hebei, operating and maintenance crews
are being trained before making the robot an official part of their
fire fighting team.
(CRIENGLISH.com August 9, 2007)
