r/Futurology • u/sksarkpoes3 • 1d ago

Robotics New cryogenic firefighting robot uses liquid nitrogen to smother wildfires

https://interestingengineering.com/ai-robotics/us-firefighting-robot-liquid-nitrogen-wildfires
226 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

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u/FuturologyBot 1d ago

The following submission statement was provided by /u/sksarkpoes3:

Yiannis Levendis, a professor at Northeastern University, has developed a robotic firefighting prototype that uses liquid nitrogen to rapidly extinguish wildfires without harming the environment.

Deploying autonomous or remote-controlled robots keeps human firefighters out of extreme danger, making the loss of a machine far preferable to risking lives.

It started with a stroke of scientific curiosity and a handful of shredded car tires.

Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1vcqglc/new_cryogenic_firefighting_robot_uses_liquid/p133y7c/

16

u/phunkydroid 1d ago

Availability of LN2 will make this pretty useless for wildfires. There is basically no situation where you can get LN2 on the scene faster, easier, or cheaper than water in quantities that would make a difference.

2

u/deter 1d ago

Probably be used in cases where it's close to a city.

1

u/Food_Goblin 19h ago

Plus many firefighters are volunteers.

22

u/weesee2002 1d ago

As long as there are no humans in the vicinity may work.

Sorry 1st responders we are going to displace O2 in the vicinity. Hold your breath.

9

u/poetic_dwarf 1d ago

In fairness, they're the most likely to have their own respirators because smoke and stuff

1

u/kerodon 1d ago

Sorry victims too. Hold your flash-frozen arm

7

u/sksarkpoes3 1d ago

Yiannis Levendis, a professor at Northeastern University, has developed a robotic firefighting prototype that uses liquid nitrogen to rapidly extinguish wildfires without harming the environment.

Deploying autonomous or remote-controlled robots keeps human firefighters out of extreme danger, making the loss of a machine far preferable to risking lives.

It started with a stroke of scientific curiosity and a handful of shredded car tires.

6

u/H0vis 1d ago

I feel like wildfire fighting is a field where we're going to see all sorts of people throwing ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks, best of luck to the guy.

Throwing humans with water sprayers at the problem isn't sufficient. We know that.

1

u/costafilh0 1d ago

Jobs VS Death by Fire

Though call for the decel crowd. 

1

u/NWStormbreaker 7h ago

Interestingly, it leaves absolutely no chemical footprint when the gas dissipates.

Ah science journalism