US Navy Develops a Mechanized Fire Fighting Robot

And not just any robot.  The United States Navy has developed a fire fighting robot that is able to climb ladders and stairs, use fire hoses and throw fire extinguishing grenades.  The Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (SAFFiR) can visually recognize human gestures giving it the ability to work in tandem with humans.  SAFFiR is also programmed to follow human line of sight, helping it to find fires as the humans it is with do.

SAFFiR was developed at the Naval Research Laboratory and is expected to field test for 18 months before working in the Navy fleet as a mechanized fire fighter.  Eventually this could hit the civilian sector and be sent into places where it isn’t safe for a fire fighter to enter.