Fire-Starting Drone Helps Prevent Wildfires

Nov-08-15 Not quite a terrifying as it sounds, the UAS-FF fire-starting drone from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln could be used to start fires for controlled burns in remote areas.

Still in the prototype stage, the UAS-FF (Unmanned Aerial System for Fire Fighting) drone is designed to help ignite and monitor fires in remote areas with limited supervision. The drone would fly to the designated area with its load of small balls filled with potassium permanganate powder. Just before release, the each ball is mechanically injected with liquid glycol, which will result in a flame after a few seconds.

According to the team, the drones would be programmed to drop the balls in a specific pattern and to avoid areas that are too windy or hot to be safe.

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[GIZMAG.COM]
[NEWS.UNL.EDU]

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