CLEVELAND — Firefighters in Ohio could soon be sending a robot into fires and other emergencies to help conduct size-ups and avoid putting humans at risk.
The Cleveland Fire Department teamed up with NASA to design MARSHA — Mobile and Remote Sensing Hazmat Activity — to support first responders.
The robot, still being developed, can be sent into a fire or hazmat scene to gather data on gases, origins of fire and smoke, and other critical information.
A city tactical operations center would receive the video, audio and other data in real time, using the robot’s WiFi capabilities.
Operating the robot is made easy and requires minimal training with a “gaming-style” controller.
NASA labels the robot a cost-effective device that uses off-the-shelf parts and which can also be applied to the city’s bomb squads, hazmat teams, EMS and maritime port authorities.
The creators also believe the robots will be used nationwide, by federal agencies like the FBI and Department of Homeland Security.
Cleveland firefighters could begin deploying the robot at fires within three years, according to Cleveland.com.