Autonomous Firefighting Zones for Targeted Agent Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire detection and response systems often cause collateral damage due to the indiscriminate deployment of firefighting agents, which can damage electronic equipment, food, and other valuable items.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous fire-fighting system equipped with sensor packages, computational resources, and threat response equipment, including robotic nozzle assemblies and firefighting agent bottles with controlled valves, capable of predicting, detecting, classifying, and localizing fire threats and autonomously selecting and releasing the appropriate firefighting agent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed firefighting systems deploy firefighting agents indiscriminately to protect overall space, then fire protection coverage is improved, but collateral damage to electronics, food, and valuable items increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the protected space into multiple zones with individual monitoring and response capabilities. Each zone can be independently targeted, allowing the system to apply firefighting agents only to specific affected areas rather than flooding the entire space, thus reducing collateral damage while maintaining reliable fire protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements localized response by deploying firefighting agents only to the specific location and type of fire detected. Different agents are selected based on the fire class and location characteristics, providing tailored protection that minimizes damage to surrounding valuable items while ensuring effective fire suppression.
2Measurement precision
If manual systems use specialized sensors and cameras for fire detection, then detection accuracy is improved, but system complexity and operator intervention requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates autonomous decision-making capabilities that automatically process sensor data, identify fire events, select appropriate responses, and deploy firefighting agents without requiring operator intervention. This self-service approach maintains high detection accuracy while reducing the operational complexity burden on users.
Solution Approach 2:
The system integrates multiple sensor types and detection methods into a unified autonomous platform that combines the advantages of specialized sensors with automated processing. This consolidation maintains high detection precision while managing system complexity through integrated architecture and centralized control.
3Power
If automated systems use large reservoirs and delivery systems for firefighting agents, then fire suppression capability is improved, but space requirements and potential damage scope increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the firefighting agent storage into multiple smaller distributed reservoirs located throughout the protected space. Each reservoir serves a specific zone, enabling localized suppression with adequate power while minimizing the space footprint of individual storage units and reducing the overall damage scope if a leak or malfunction occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from centralized horizontal storage to a distributed three-dimensional arrangement of reservoirs at various heights and locations. This spatial distribution maintains sufficient fire suppression capability for each zone while significantly reducing the contiguous space required and enabling more efficient agent delivery to fire locations.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention generally provides systems and methods for autonomous space characterization, data analysis, anomaly detection, hazard probability assessment, and profile deviance assessment and incident response action, and firefighting employing robotically controlled firefighting equipment, autonomous selection and release of firefighting agent, and the autonomous prediction, detection, classification, and location of existing and impending threats and fire events.