SAFFiR Demonstrates Firefighting Capability on Naval Vessel
Researchers at Virginia Tech revealed details about its Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot, which successfully demonstrated capabilities last November aboard the decommissioned navy vessel USS Shadwell.
SAFFiR, as the robot is called, walked across uneven floors, used thermal imaging to identify overheated equipment and used a hose to extinguish a small fire.
The 5 ft. 10 inch tall, 143 pound humanoid robot has super-human range of motion and is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research to evaluate the applications of unmanned systems in damage control and inspections on naval ships, according to an ONR press release.
“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,” says ONR program manager for human-robot interaction and cognitive neuroscience Dr. Thomas McKenna. “The long-term goal is to keep sailors from the danger of direct exposure.”
The robot is equipped with infrared stereovision and rotating lidar sensors to enable detection of heat and objects through smoke. The more difficult task is programming SAFFiR to move efficiently while at sea.
“Balancing on any type of terrain that’s unstable — especially for bipedal robots - is very difficult,” says 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.”
SAFFiR is programmed with the capability to take measured steps and handle fire hoses on its own, but is currently controlled remotely from a computer console.
“The robot has the ability to do autonomous tasks, but we have a human in the loop to allow an operator to intervene in any type of task that the robot’s doing,” says Lattimer.
The researchers on the project plan to design a more advanced version as part of the long-term investigational research program by adding enhanced intelligence, communications capabilities, speed, computing power and battery life.
“We have taken a look at other kinds of sensors that you can put on these robots,” says McKenna. “For instance, a bipedal robot could be configured to take shipboard measurements, scan for corrosion and leaks, and identify changes to the shape of the room from its original configuration. By taking on these time-consuming tasks, SAFFiR could free up sailors for jobs that more fully take advantage of their training and technical skill sets.”
Even with added intelligence, during fires or other emergencies the robot will still be controlled remotely.
“We’re working toward human-robot teams,” says McKenna. “It’s what we call the hybrid force: humans and robots working together.”
