Heat-resistant drone could scope out and map burning buildings and wildfires

Inside the drone, showing the layer of aerogel. Credit: Empa Imperial College London and researchers have built a drone that can withstand high enough temperatures to enter burning buildings. The prototype drone, called FireDrone, could be sent into burning buildings or woodland to assess hazards and provide crucial first-hand data from danger zones. The data would then be sent to first responders to help inform their emergency response. FireDrone could be sent in ahead to gather crucial information so that responders can prepare accordingly to keep themselves safe and potentially save more lives. Professor Mirko Kovac The drone is made of a new thermal aerogel insulation material and houses an inbuilt cooling system to help it withstand temperatures of up to 200°C for ten minutes. Currently at prototype stage, the researchers believe FireDrone could eventually be used to scope out fires for people and extra hazards to bolster firefighting.