High-rise fires have one very obvious problem: Ladders end.
Enter firefighting drones. Flying rigs built to carry hoses, aim water and attack flames from the outside without sending a human up into the danger zone first. One Shenzhen test reportedly pushed water up over 1,000 feet, which is officially โscared to look downโ territory.
The upside is huge: faster response, fewer firefighters in the blast zone and help in places trucks canโt reach. The downside? Wind, battery life, water pressure and the terrifying phrase โrobot with a fire hose.โ
Watch a firefighting drone in action here.