Researchers from Switzerland and the United Kingdom have built a drone that is resistant to high temperatures, meaning it can be used to closely assess the source of a fire, making the work of firefighters safer. Drones currently used to take aerial photographs, carry hoses, or release extinguishing material have to stay away from the fire to avoid damage. David Häusermann, a mechanical engineer from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) and Imperial College London, decided to seek out someone who could develop a lightweight coating that is resistant to high temperatures. At EMPA, he found Shanyu Zhao and Wim Malfait, whose teams synthesized an airgel based on polyimide, a polymer that maintains its stable structure at almost 500 degrees Celsius and has been studied as a potential thermal insulator for spacesuits. Häusermann used 1.5-centimeter-thick sheets of the airgel coated with aluminum film to protect the drone’s electronic components. A FireDrone prototype was successfully tested at a firefighter training center near Zurich. “Even after several flights, the electronics, thermal imaging camera, and CO2 sensors were undamaged,” Häusermann said in a press release (Advanced Intelligent Systems, June 13; Swissinfo.ch, June 26).
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Fire-resistant drone
Polyimide-coated components survive intense heat
EMPA
