Fire defence on board: US Navy relies on robot technology

When a devastating fire broke out on the Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego in mid-July 2020, resulting in the total loss of the carrier ship, it would have been possible to intervene successfully with the automated systems available today. Could have! Of course, the Bonhomme Richard also suffered from hair-raising mistakes in the organisation of the firefighting, which turned this major fire into a catastrophe in the first place. However, the robot technology available today makes it possible to equip and train mobile and stable machines the size of dogs with sensors, effectors and artificial intelligence, which can move on board in decks and over obstacles and steps. They are designed to perform tasks that are too dangerous or even impossible for humans. In addition to fire detection and extinguishing in extreme cases and everyday tasks such as tank cleaning in hostile atmospheres, a wide range of automated and autonomous support services are conceivable. These must be defined and then the machine must be designed and programmed for the specific purpose. The Naval Center for Space Technology with its Naval Research Laboratory is doing just that - and is working with two teams to optimise dog-like quadrupeds for ship-specific tasks. They also have to be able to compensate for violent ship movements in heavy seas and open hatches and bulkheads. The starting material is Vision 60 from Ghost Robotics, a robot that has so far performed guarding tasks at the perimeter of an air force base.

Spot - by Boston Dynamics, Photo: US Navy/E. Parsons

Or even a social media star like the yellow, "dancing" inspection robot called Spot from Boston Dynamics. The new functions and features, including a fifth manipulation arm on its back, are being tested on board the museum aircraft carrier Midway in San Diego Bay. However, if "Robby" looks too much like a dog, it will be with a heavy heart that humans send him into the fire!