The Los Angeles Fire Department has welcomed aboard a new member of the team, rolling out a robotic firefighter for its first day of service. The Thermite RS3 is a remote-controlled rover capable of pumping out thousands of gallons of water a minute, with these capabilities tested on its very first day on the job.
The Thermite RS3 is produced by Maine-based robotics firm Textron: Howe & HoweTechnologies and is a 3,500-lb (1,600-kg) industrial robot capable of trundling along at eight mph (12.9 km). It is powered by a 36-hp diesel engine and offers 20 hours of operation on each tank, with a plow blade attached to the front should obstacles, such as cars, need to be cleared from its path.
Using a hose that stretches 300 ft (91-m) horizontally or 150 ft (45 m) vertically, the Thermite RS3 is built to douse flames via a nozzle that allows for 2,500 gallons (9,500 L) of water to flow per minute. Operators control the robot remotely using a belly-pack controller, which relays a HD video stream for guidance. You can get a look at this perspective below.
United States’ first firefighting robot tackles a building fire in LA [New Atlas]