Photo: Howe & Howe
Thermite is a mixture of powdered aluminum and iron oxide. It is used in anything from welding to incendiary bombs because of its ability to generate fire and burn really, really hot. So naming machines designed to fight fire Thermite is a bit odd.
Odd as it may be, the term is used to describe such things for a while now, thanks to a family of robot firefighters made by Howe & Howe. And a new member just joined the team, bringing with it capabilities that were not available until now.
Thermite EV2 is how the robot is called, and it joins the existing RS1 and RS3 to help firefighters do their thing from a respectable distance from danger.
Whereas the RS robots pack internal combustion engines, the EV2 is electric, featuring an undisclosed kind battery pack and motors. This should allow it to operate in oxygen-deprived environments, something fires are prone to creating all around.
Although the full specs of the machine were not announced, Howe & Howe says the thing can run for several hours on a single charge and it is capable of moving farther into high-temperature.
For the first time in the range, the EV2 brings a handheld controller, complete with an eight-inch and recording capabilities. Software updates for the controller are also on the table.
For its firefighting operations, the robot comes with a modular design, and complete with a multi-position nozzle and additional attachments. There is no word yet on pricing for the thing.
This type of machine will probably become a necessity for an increasing number of countries in the not-so-distant future. At the moment, there are around six major wildfires in the world, in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Russia, the United States, and Canada. The one in Siberia, for instance, has been raging for months and this week, for the first time ever, smoke generated there reached the North Pole.
Thermite EV2 is how the robot is called, and it joins the existing RS1 and RS3 to help firefighters do their thing from a respectable distance from danger.
Whereas the RS robots pack internal combustion engines, the EV2 is electric, featuring an undisclosed kind battery pack and motors. This should allow it to operate in oxygen-deprived environments, something fires are prone to creating all around.
Although the full specs of the machine were not announced, Howe & Howe says the thing can run for several hours on a single charge and it is capable of moving farther into high-temperature.
For the first time in the range, the EV2 brings a handheld controller, complete with an eight-inch and recording capabilities. Software updates for the controller are also on the table.
For its firefighting operations, the robot comes with a modular design, and complete with a multi-position nozzle and additional attachments. There is no word yet on pricing for the thing.
This type of machine will probably become a necessity for an increasing number of countries in the not-so-distant future. At the moment, there are around six major wildfires in the world, in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Russia, the United States, and Canada. The one in Siberia, for instance, has been raging for months and this week, for the first time ever, smoke generated there reached the North Pole.
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