Tablet-controlled robotic Black Hawk helicopters fight fire in thrilling tests
The Black Hawk was controlled via tablet, locating fires and dropping water from a Bambi bucket during a 30-minute demo flight.
A test showed an autonomous Black Hawk helicopter taking off, locating small fires, and precisely dropping water to suppress flames, showcasing advanced firefighting capabilities.
Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, and Rain, a leader in autonomous aerial wildfire containment technology, successfully completed the experiment.
According to the firms, the Rapid Wildfire Response Demonstration at Sikorsky headquarters in Stratford, demonstrated how Sikorsky’s MATRIX flying autonomy and Rain’s wildfire mission autonomy system might effectively combine to put out a fire in its early stages.
“Government agencies, aerial firefighting operators, and investors are coming together to learn and see how both flight and mission autonomy can help prevent high intensity million-acre wildfires,” said Maxwell Brodie, CEO of Rain, in a statement.
In October, US Army’s Black Hawks helicopters completed trips without pilots with Sirosky’s next-gen robotic brain.
Precision aerial firefighting
Wildfires cost the United States more than $390 billion each year, with risk factors expected to increase by up to 30 percent by 2030.
Developers aim to show lawmakers how autonomous aircraft can prevent fires from spreading and continue firefighting efforts after dark and in challenging, smoky conditions where crewed aircraft cannot operate.
Using a tablet, visitors controlled the Black Hawk aircraft to take off, search for and locate the fire, and then drop water from a Bambi bucket suspended 60 feet below the plane during the 30-minute flight demonstration.
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