AI drone firefighting system puts out fires on high-rise buildings

The advanced AI drone system is designed to handle early-stage fires in skyscrapers or forest and grassland fires.

XCMG Group, a leading company in China’s machinery industry, introduced its advanced AI drone system at a conference and exhibition on firefighting equipment technology in Beijing last week, according to the South China Morning Post. . The drone system is placed on a vehicle called the AP35/G2 UAV compressed air foam tower fire fighting vehicle. This is the result of cooperation between fire safety equipment company XCMG and the Shanghai office of the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Drones practice extinguishing fires in high-rise buildings. (Photo: Mail)

The vehicle is equipped with two firefighting drones and one exploration drone, along with storage tanks and firefighting equipment. New firefighting drones aim to address the slow response times often associated with urban and bushfires in the initial emergency stages.

According to XCMG Group representatives at the exhibition, the system has undergone two skyscraper rescue drills in Chongqing province in southwest China. It is also deployed to prevent wildfires and has proven effective when dealing with re-ignition sites and difficult-to-reach terrain. “When a fire erupts, the reconnaissance drone will initially assess the situation, send live images to the vehicle’s control center, and autonomously devise a swift and secure rescue route.” The firefighting drone will then Follow the pre-planned route and quickly arrive at the scene to initiate fire-fighting measures. XCMG Group stated that fire trucks had also arrived to offer extra assistance.

The reconnaissance drone comes with automatic flight capabilities, high-altitude scanning, and self-replacing batteries. It can expand visibility in complex urban and forest environments. Two firefighting drones can carry a weight of up to 50kg, have a flight altitude of 120m and an operating time of 20 minutes. They can be fitted with dry powder fire extinguishers or pressurized tanks, which pull a nozzle to spray compressed air foam. Drones can spray up to 15 meters in the air, conduct rescues at high altitudes and drop materials.

In March, the Nyingchi firefighting team in the Tibet Autonomous Region collaborated with Shenzhen’s Keweitai company to employ drones for forest fire prevention within a hazardous mountain area. They targeted 10 basic ignition points located at various altitudes from 1,065 to 1,998 m. Difficult terrain made it impossible for firefighters to access this area, so drones were chosen for rescue missions. Experienced professionals effectively employed drones to extinguish all sources of smoke and fire by deploying water bags onto the affected area.