| Company | Shark Robotics |
| Country | France |
| Category | Protection & compliance › Remote sensing & mapping |
Fire fighting robots are remotely operated or autonomous machines designed to combat wildfire or structural fire in environments too dangerous, inaccessible, or resource-intensive for human firefighters to safely engage. In the context of forest and wildland fire, these robots are engineered to operate in extreme heat, over rough terrain, through dense smoke, and without reliable communications — conditions that represent the frontier of mobile robotics research. Ground-based firefighting robots typically take the form of tracked or wheeled vehicles carrying water tanks, foam systems, or fire retardant dispensers, equipped with thermal cameras and obstacle avoidance sensors to navigate burning terrain. Some designs incorporate a water-cooled chassis to allow sustained operation near the fire front. Aerial firefighting robots, including autonomous or semi-autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), can deliver fire retardant or act as relay communications nodes above the fire to extend the range of ground robots. The operational concept for firefighting robots in plantation forestry involves deploying them ahead of or alongside human crews to suppress ignitions in areas where the fire behaviour or terrain makes human entry excessively hazardous — particularly in the steep, wind-exposed plantation terrain of southern Australia. Robots can also be used in mop-up operations after the main fire front has passed, extinguishing residual burning material without prolonged human exposure to smoke. Internationally, systems such as the Thermite RS3 (used by some US fire departments) and research platforms from university robotics laboratories have demonstrated the technical feasibility of robotic fire suppression. In Australia, research partnerships between forestry agencies, robotics institutes, and universities are evaluating robot platforms adapted to local terrain and fire behaviour. Key challenges include achieving sufficient water-carrying capacity, ensuring reliable autonomous navigation in GPS-degraded smoke environments, and developing operational protocols that integrate robots safely with human crews on the fireground.
Modelt productivity-focused but highly effective for keeping humans out of dangerous fire zones, offering strong direct safety and asset-protection benefits.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Company | Shark Robotics |
| Country | France |
| Type | Company |
| FWPA RD&E | 2.1 |