Autonomous Robotic All Terrain Vehicles, Lockheed Robotics ...

Firefighting
Robotic System

Reggie Grant

Director, Advanced Programs
-

Dallas



Lockheed Martin Proprietary Information

Mission Statement

The Fire Fighting Robotic System’s Program mission is to:


•
Provide the wild
-
land Firefighters with an autonomous vehicle system
that can aid them in efficiently and safely fighting fires from hauling
their gear to helping them fight fires at night and utilizing the system in
places that humans currently do not go.

•
Support first responder/all risk situations:

–
Natural Disasters

–
Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT)

–
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

–
Bomb threats

–
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) Threats, etc.


VISION
:

Develop and Provide A Civil Fire Fighting System with
Near
-
Term Solution and Multiple Mission Equipment Packages to
Meet Extensive Fire Fighter Needs

FFR
-
1 Fire Fighting and Rescue Robot (Israeli)


ARMTEC SACI Firefighting Robot (German)

Other Systems

U.S. Air Force Unmanned Fire Tractor

Robots Have Been Developed for Fire Fighting

SME Firefighting Panel

•
Firefighting panel of Subject Matter Experts (SME) conducted at
Disaster City (DC) through Texas A&M University (TAMU), and
Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX)

–
SMEs identified the complete life cycle of fighting a fire, from first call
to clean
-
up.

–
Functions and capabilities were identified for unmanned vehicle
firefighting operations.

–
Capabilities prioritized by potential mission equipment packages.

–
The group provided valuable fire fighting resources: financial,
organizational, and standards.

–
SMEs offered to provide further support to the FFRS program.


SME Firefighting Panel Findings

•
SMEs identified the complete life cycle of fighting a fire, from first
call to clean
-
up

911 Call

Call

Processing

Dispatch

Resources

Units

En
-
Route

Units

On
-
Scene

Initial

Attack

Extended

Attack

Recovery

Fire

Controlled?

Yes

No


6

‘Attacking the Fire’ Overview

A

Z

Y

X

W

D

C

B

“Encircle the Fire”

Containment by Division

Division “
A
”

Left Flank

Division “
Z
”

Right Flank

Point

Of

Origin

“Initial Attack”


Control Line

Wind

Frontal

Attack

This is a current capability gap revolutionizing wild
-
land firefighting

Insert Fire Ox



Lockheed Martin Proprietary Information

Firefighting Robot
-

What is it

•
A variant of the Squad Mission Support System (SMSS)
designed to support the firefighter


•
Capabilities:

–

Transport Gear (i.e. large emergency


shelter, oxygen, tools)

–

Casualty Evacuation / Rapid Egress

–

Communications Relay

–

Forward Observer (FOB)

–

Fire Suppression

–

HAZMAT

–

Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC)


•
Benefits: Save lives, reduce time, and increase effectiveness




Notional Firefighter’s Mission Support System

(Variant of SMSS)

Opportunity to
enhance firefighter capability


8

MFC has current expertise in technology areas


•
Mobility

•
Low center of gravity

•
Handle diverse terrain types and densities

•
Move rapidly

•
Navigability

•
Route planning & execution, Go to a point, Follow me, Return home, Human/Obstacle
detection
and
avoid

•
Sensibility

•
Sensors for night operations, thermal imaging, sampling probes, weather/environmental
sensing

•
Communication

•
Control and data acquisition of the
vehicle; communication relay

•
Dexterity

•
Perceptual packages allowing robot to manipulate or probe the environment

•
Reusability

•
Add and create different payloads for the vehicle

•
Transportability

•
Capability to transport important payloads and unspecified items

Firefighting Robotic Capabilities



Lockheed Martin Proprietary Information


9

MFC has current expertise in technology areas


•
Hauling supplies

–
Hoses, trunklines

–
People

–
Energy storage needs to be compact

•
Reconnoiter in front of fire

–
Perform night recon operations

–
Provide guaranteed area coverage

•
Direct Fire Suppression

–
Flank fire and perform suppression operations where firefighter cannot
access

•
Identify Hot Spots

–
Under canopies w/thermal imaging

•
Investigate Hazardous Areas

•
Mobile Weather Station

–
Determine wind speed and direction

–
Humidity, fuel moisture and temperature

Firefighting Robotic Functions



Lockheed Martin Proprietary Information

PUMP & HOSE SUPPORT

HAND CREW SUPPORT

DIRECT ATTACK

NIGHT OPS SUPPORT

RECON

RESCUE/MOP
-
UP

MEDEVAC

REMOTE NOZZLE

Prioritized

Mission Equipment Packages

1

2

3

Semi
-
Autonomous Capabilities

Follow Trail

Go There

Follow Vehicle *

Follow Person

* Additional Capability that needs to be developed

Summary

•
Robotic Systems Are Seeing Growing Use in the U.S.
Military


•
There is Potential for Robotic Vehicles to Assist in Wild
Land Fire Fighting


•
We’ve Had Great Support From Texas A&M and Texas
Engineering Extension (TEEX)


•
SMSS is Progressing; Provides the Platform for a
Robotic Firefighting Vehicle