We first told you about the Navy’s firefighting robot three years ago. Now, that robot is a reality… in prototype form!
The Office of Naval Research-sponsored Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (SAFFiR) undergoes testing aboard the Naval Research Laboratory’s ex-USS Shadwell in Mobile, Alabama. SAFFiR is a bipedal humanoid robot being developed to assist sailors with damage control and inspection operations aboard naval vessels. (Photo: John F. Williams/U.S. Navy/Released)
Scientists unveiled a firefighting robot prototype Feb. 4 at the Naval Future Force Science & Technology EXPO, revealing details about its successful demonstrations last fall. The Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (SAFFiR), sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), walked across uneven floors, used thermal imaging to identify overheated equipment, and used a hose to extinguish a small fire in a series of experiments Nov. 3-5, 2014 aboard the USS Shadwell, a decommissioned Navy vessel.
Developed by researchers at Virginia Tech, the two-legged, or bipedal, humanoid robot is helping ONR evaluate the applications of unmanned systems in damage control and inspections aboard naval vessels, supporting the autonomy and unmanned systems focus area in the Navy’s Science and Technology Strategy.
“We set out to build and demonstrate a humanoid capable of mobility aboard a ship, manipulating doors and fire hoses, and equipped with sensors to see and navigate through smoke,” said Dr. Thomas McKenna, ONR program manager for human-robot interaction and cognitive neuroscience. “The long-term goal is to keep sailors from the danger of direct exposure to fire.”
John Seminatore, a graduate student at Virginia Tech, secures SAFFiR during testing aboard the Naval Research Laboratory’s ex-USS Shadwell in Mobile, Alabama. The bipedal humanoid robot, developed as a test bed for autonomous firefighting and damage control operations, was tethered to a power source for demonstrations aboard the Navy’s fire test platform. (Photo: John F. Williams/U.S. Navy/Released)
SAFFiR stands 5 feet 10 inches and weighs 143 pounds. The unique mechanism design on the robot equips it with super-human range of motion to maneuver in complex spaces.
“Balancing on any type of terrain that’s unstable – especially for bipedal robots – is very difficult,” said Brian Lattimer, associate professor for mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech. “Whole-body momentum control allows for the robot to optimize the locations of all of its joints so that it maintains its center of mass on uncertain and unstable surfaces.”
Sensors, including infrared stereovision and a rotating laser for light detection and ranging (LIDAR), — For more information read the original article here.
