aerogel-covered drone flies inside burning buildings to help firefighters in rescue missions

"FireDrone is an aerogel-covered that can help firefighters in rescue missions by surveying for victims inside burning buildings. The assistive device aims to be the 'flying eye' in extreme environments so humans can be sure of who are and what is inside a site before going in. The FireDrone flying machine resembles a small quadcopter with its four arms and spinning propellers, but unlike regular drones, the parts of the device are built to survive high temperatures."

"What makes it weather the heat is the exterior covered with aerogel, which is extremely light and is mostly made of air trapped inside tiny pores. These air pockets slow down heat, helping to protect what is inside, and in the flying machine FireDrone, the aerogel is made from a heat-resistant plastic called polyimide. This material can handle high temperatures without melting or breaking. Instead of using many separate parts, the insulation is cast as one solid piece that wraps around the drone's sensitive components. Inside the shell are the device's motors, batteries, computers, and sensors."

FireDrone is an aerogel-covered quadcopter built to enter extreme-heat environments and survey for victims prior to human entry. The aerogel exterior is extremely light and contains air-filled pores that slow heat transfer; the aerogel is made from heat-resistant polyimide. The insulation is cast as a single solid shell that wraps motors, batteries, computers, and sensors. An internal cooling and temperature-control system monitors electronics and keeps them within safe limits. FireDrone can operate in temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius, while normal drones typically fail near 40 degrees Celsius. Captured live images are sent to a remote control screen. Empa developed the system and a start-up is advancing it for rescue missions, tunnels, and hot industrial sites.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine