A company that builds firefighting robots made its debut in the United States Tuesday at DFW Airport. RobotLAB builds robots that can shoot water and foam but also help firefighters with surveillance and carrying equipment such as bags of sand.
"The robot can climb stairs if you are dealing with a building with multiple floors," says Vice President of Sales Cedric Vaudel. "It can work in parking garages where the robot is capable of pushing over multiple cars to help firefighters have access."
The robot first debuted in France, and Vaudel says it helped clear a path for crews fighting the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2019.
"In some situations we also have to move around very heavy pieces," Vaudel says. "At Notre-Dame Cathedral, it was big pieces of wood that were collapsing from the roof."
Vaudel says the robot can also help firefighters with reconnaissance as they devise a plan to control a fire.
"You can send the robot first to get some assessments with a remote control, get some camera feedback from real cameras, assess the site and start working on the fire through the holes in the robot," he says.
The firefighting robot is built to withstand high temperatures and navigate uneven terrain. RobotLAB also builds robots for use in education, hospitality and other industries.
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