One company plans to use machinery to burn the ground on purpose. Another aims to put fires out using autonomous helicopters.
Entrepreneurs are aiming to use robots to fight wildfires—by both lighting fires deliberately and extinguishing them.
Wildfires such as those now plaguing the American West are growing more frequent and destructive—and are spurring innovators to develop more creative solutions. Starting in early January, a series of unseasonable and destructive wildfires swept the Los Angeles area, destroying more than 16,000 structures and killing as many as 29 people. Research shows that climate change exacerbated the hot, dry, and windy conditions that likely fueled the fires, according to the Associated Press.
The Palisades, Eaton, and Hughes fires are now all mostly contained, according to CalFire, though the residents of affected areas are now at risk of flooding and mudslides from the rain that helped quench some of the flames.
Technological advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence promise futuristic ways to improve fire prevention, response, and the safety of first responders. Here’s how.
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