autoevolution
 

Firefighting Robots Are So Cool We Definitely Need More, And More Are Coming

Firefighting robots are so cool they should make one of those calendars with the machines as the main protagonists. Sure, people might need help finding enough of them to fill an entire 12-page calendar, but my bet is it would definitely be worth it.
Thermite firefighting robot 14 photos
Photo: Howe & Howe
Thermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robotsThermite firefighting robots
In the U.S. there's only one company in the business of making firefighting robots these days. It's called Howe & Howe, it is owned by defense contractor Textron, and offers at the time of writing a lineup of three such beasts, all of them part of a family known as Thermite.

Two of its members are called RS1 and RS3, and are tracked, internal combustion engine machines meant to be deployed by firefighters in dangerous areas and help put out hazardous flames.

In 2021, Howe & Howe showed the world the EV2, an electric variant of the existing robots meant to reach places where ICE-powered vehicles can't: oxygen-deprived environments, high-temperature areas, and so on.

We don't have any info on how well the EV2 was received by fire departments, but judging by the fact that Howe & Howe is getting ready to show a new model of the Thermite lineage, it probably made quite the impression.

The new robot is called Thermite EV1, and it's a slightly smaller version of the EV2 - about half the size, at 75 inches long, 38 inches wide, and 51 inches high (190 x 97 x 130 cm). We still don't know exactly what powers it, except for the fact it uses “the latest in high-capacity battery technology” and has a greater range.

Thermite firefighting robots
Photo: Howe & Howe
We do know its industrial-grade, belted rubber tracks are set in motion by a 15 kW liquid-cooled motor, and that the thing can move at speeds of up to 5 mph (8 kph) – for reference, the bigger robot is a real speedster, at 8 mph (13 kph) top speed. The contraption can be operated from a distance of 300 meters (984 feet) and can hold enough juice to run for as much as 20 hours at a time.

The robot can carry anything from a nozzle to all sorts of attachments. It allows for 700 gallons (2,650 liters) per minute of water or some other fire retardant (maybe even the mixture of the powdered aluminum and iron oxide that gives the family its name) to be sprayed at the fire. And it is equipped with a winch rated at 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg).

Howe & Howe will first show the Thermite EV1 in the flesh at the FDIC International show which opens its doors in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 24. The EV2 will of course accompany it. There is no info at the time of writing on how much such a machine costs.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
press release
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories