A flying eye that doesn’t mind the heat

The FireDrone is the first drone that can withstand extreme heat. In future, it
The FireDrone is the first drone that can withstand extreme heat. In future, it will send data directly from danger zones. Photo: Empa

The FireDrone is designed to deliver real-time data from high-risk areas that are too dangerous for humans and conventional drones. Developed at Empa and continued as a spin-off, the new generation of drones combines heat-resistant materials with practical robotics - for firefighting operations and industrial inspections involving extreme temperatures.

Firefighting in large buildings, long tunnels, or extensive forests poses major challenges for emergency services. The FireDrone is designed to provide a quick overview of the situation: As the first heat-resistant drone, it flies into high-risk environments and provides real-time information on the situation. "Today, firefighters have to physically enter burning buildings to locate hazardous materials or missing persons. With the FireDrone, we can now send a drone into hazardous areas to do just that - significantly minimizing the risk during operations," says Fabian Wiesemüller, Empa researcher and co-founder of the FireDrone start-up. The flying robot was developed at Empa and is now being further developed by an Empa and EPFL spin-off. In the future, it will help firefighters make quick and informed decisions.

Toxic smoke, collapsing buildings, and explosions pose an extreme danger to firefighters. Smoke and toxic fumes are responsible for more than two-thirds of deaths during firefighting operations, and more than one-third of all’operations involve hazardous materials. The FireDrone is therefore designed for use in unclear situations or dense smoke clouds. Its strength lies primarily within large and complex structures such as industrial halls, parking garages, or tunnels. Searching large areas in such locations is particularly time-consuming and dangerous. "A drone that can fly over such areas quickly and without damage offers clear added value," says David Häusermann, Empa researcher and co-founder of the FireDrone start-up.

In addition to firefighting operations, the drone is also suitable for industrial inspections. Many facilities with furnaces, refineries, or chemical processes can only be safely inspected after long cooling phases. These downtimes often last several days, incur high costs, and lead to energy losses. In the future, the FireDrone could inspect cement or steel plants and waste incineration facilities during operation, for example - anywhere where high temperatures make it difficult for humans and conventional drones to operate.

Conventional drones reach their limits at around 40 degrees Celsius: The frame deforms and electronics fail. The FireDrone, on the other hand, can fly at temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius. It is protected by patented insulation made of ultra-light aerogel. This consists almost entirely of air-filled pores enclosed in heat-resistant plastic.

Live thermal images from buildings Equipped with an infrared camera, the FireDrone transmits high-resolution thermal images in real time to a large screen on the remote control. This allows multiple emergency responders to locate fires or missing persons simultaneously from a safe distance. "Today, often only the first firefighters inside the building can see what it looks like inside. With the drone, the incident commander can get an overview of the situation before anyone enters the building," explains Häusermann. The drone can be optionally equipped with additional cameras or sensors, for example to measure outside temperatures or detect gases produced by fires. Another key advantage is that the FireDrone can also fly indoors. Since it cannot rely on satellite navigation under these circumstances, it has been specifically optimized for use in buildings, tunnels, or covered industrial facilities. "GPS is not available in many of our operational scenarios. That?s why we are developing pilot assistance and localization systems that function reliably even without a satellite signal," says Wiesemüller. The spin-off has already tested the FireDrone several times at the training ground of the Andelfingen training center and at the Holcim cement plant in Siggenthal. "Tests are crucial for making the transition from the laboratory to practical application. In future, pilots should be able to use these drones safely in extreme situations with minimal training," says Häusermann. In the long term, the FireDrone will be supplemented with a mobile docking and maintenance station that can be integrated into fire trucks or modern fire protection systems.

Compared to earlier versions, the insulation system has been fundamentally simplified. Instead of a complex, glass fiber-reinforced composite structure made of polyimide and silica, a pure polyimide aerogel is now used. "We can cast the aerogel in three-dimensional shapes and tailor it to the drone," says Häusermann. Bulky individual components for the shell are now a thing of the past; the new material encases the sensitive components in one piece.

At the same time, researchers led by Shanyu Zhao further improved the high-temperature-resistant polyimide aerogel. Such materials were long considered difficult to produce. Years of research into the chemical composition - from the selection of raw materials to polymerization and solvent processes - have resulted in a new material combination that combines high heat resistance with mechanical flexibility. In addition, the FireDrone has an internal temperature management system that continuously cools and monitors the electronics.

The FireDrone is the result of several years of research in Empa’s Sustainability Robotics and Building Energy Materials and Components laboratories. The heat-resistant drone is currently being further developed by an Empa and EPFL spin-off. The team led by David Häusermann and Fabian Wiesmüller is supported by various funding programs such as Venture Kick, the Gebert Rüf Foundation, and the Innovation Booster Robotics. An additional development project is the FireDrone Nest: a mobile, thermally insulated docking and maintenance station. It is designed to enable the drone to land automatically after a mission, secure it and prepare it for the next flight - an important step towards reliable use by fire departments and industry. "The transition from research project to practical application would not have been possible without Empa’s years of support," says Wiesemüller. "Now it’s a matter of putting the technology to use in real-world applications."

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