AI drone fire fighting system extinguishes fire on high-rise buildings

China's advanced AI drone system is designed to tackle early-stage fires in skyscrapers or forest and grassland fires.

Drones practice extinguishing fires in high-rise buildings. Photo: Mail — Drones practice extinguishing fires in high-rise buildings. Photo: *Mail*

XCMG Group, a leading company in China's machinery industry, introduced an advanced AI drone system at a firefighting equipment technology conference and exhibition in Beijing last week, according to the South China Morning Post . The drone system is mounted on an AP35/G2 UAV compressed air foam tower firefighting vehicle. It is the result of cooperation between XCMG firefighting safety equipment company and the Shanghai office of the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The vehicle is equipped with two firefighting drones and one scout drone, along with storage tanks and firefighting equipment. The new firefighting drone aims to address the slow response times often associated with urban and wildfire fires in the early emergency stages.

According to a representative of XCMG Group at the exhibition, the system has undergone two skyscraper rescue drills in the southwestern Chinese province of Chongqing. It has also been deployed to prevent forest fires and has proven effective in handling re-ignition sites and difficult-to-reach terrain. "When a fire breaks out, the reconnaissance drone will first survey the scene, transmit real-time images to the vehicle's control room, and automatically plan a fast and safe rescue route. The fire-fighting drone will then follow the pre-planned route and quickly arrive at the scene to initiate fire-fighting measures. The fire engine will also arrive at the scene to provide additional support," said XCMG Group.

The reconnaissance drone is equipped with autonomous flight, high-altitude survey and self-replacement battery functions. It can extend the observation range in complex urban and mountainous environments. The two firefighting drones can carry a payload of up to 50 kg, have a flight altitude of 120 m and an operating time of 20 minutes. They can be equipped with dry powder fire extinguishers or pressurized tanks, which can pull the nozzle to spray compressed air foam. The drones can spray 15 m in the air, conduct high-altitude rescues and drop materials.

In March, the Nyingchi Fire Brigade in the Tibet Autonomous Region, in collaboration with Shenzhen-based Keweitai, used drones to fight a forest fire inside a mountain range. They targeted 10 primary fire hotspots at altitudes ranging from 1,065 to 1,998 meters. The difficult terrain made it impossible for firefighters to access the area, so drones were chosen for the rescue mission. The drone, piloted by an experienced operator, successfully extinguished all smoke and fire sources by dropping water bags on the affected area.

An Khang (According to SCMP )

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