Mobile rail-mounted fire extinguishing robot
The present disclosure provides a mobile fire-extinguishing robot comprising a housing with internal rack structure. An electric motor connects to a driving wheel, with two driven wheels at the housing bottom, supported by rail tracks. A controller at the housing top operates with a thermal imaging camera using artificial intelligence for fire pattern analysis and wind direction sensor. At least one spray nozzle positions on the housing side with steering motor connected to the controller. A fire pump inside connects to a T-shaped extinguishing hose containing an iron chip at its bottom. An electromagnetic coil opposite the iron chip connects to the controller. A return spring maintains the hose in ascending position. An electric valve interfaces with the hose when the electromagnetic coil attracts the iron chip, with extinguishing materials supply pipe connecting to the valve.
1 . A robot for extinguishing fires in open and extended locations, comprising:
a housing;
a rack structure positioned within the housing and extending outside the housing;
an electric motor positioned inside the housing;
a driving wheel connected to the electric motor;
two driven wheels positioned at the housing;
an upper rail track and a lower rail track configured to support the driving wheel and the driven wheels respectively;
a controller;
a thermal imaging camera operatively coupled to the controller and configured to analyze fire patterns using artificial intelligence;
a wind direction sensor;
at least one spray nozzle;
at least one steering motor connected to the at least one spray nozzle and operatively coupled to the controller;
at least one fire pump positioned inside the housing;
at least one lower extinguishing hose connected to the at least one fire pump;
a metal chip installed in the at least one lower extinguishing hose;
an electromagnetic coil positioned to attract the metal chip and operatively coupled to the controller;
a return spring associated with the at least one lower extinguishing hose to maintain the hose in a retracted position;
an electric valve configured to interface with the at least one lower extinguishing hose when the electromagnetic coil attracts the metal chip;
an electrical communication port positioned at a connection interface between the at least one lower extinguishing hose and the electric valve; and
an extinguishing materials supply pipe connected to the electric valve.
2 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a cube-shaped box with detachable and re-installable faces.
3 . The robot of claim 2 , wherein the housing is constructed from a material selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic, and reinforced carbon fiber.
4 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the rack structure has an L-shaped configuration and is hollowed internally to facilitate routing of electrical wires.
5 . The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a flashlight positioned adjacent to the thermal imaging camera.
6 . The robot of claim 5 , further comprising a rain scanner configured to clean glass surfaces of the thermal imaging camera and the flashlight.
7 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the at least one spray nozzle comprises two spray nozzles positioned on opposite sides of the housing, and the at least one steering motor comprises two steering motors each connected to a respective spray nozzle.
8 . A method for operating a robot for extinguishing fires in open and extended locations, comprising:
detecting a fire hazard using fire sensors deployed at a location;
sending a call signal from the fire sensors to a robot positioned on a rail track system;
moving the robot along the rail track system to a fire location using an electric motor and driving wheel;
analyzing fire patterns and environmental conditions using a thermal imaging camera with artificial intelligence capabilities;
determining a type of fire and selecting an appropriate extinguishing material based on the analysis;
activating an electromagnetic coil to attract a metal chip in a selected lower extinguishing hose, causing the hose to move downward and connect with an electric valve;
supplying electrical power to the electric valve through an electrical communication port to open the valve;
pumping extinguishing material from an extinguishing materials supply pipe through the electric valve to at least one fire pump;
directing the extinguishing material to at least one spray nozzle using the at least one fire pump; and
controlling a direction of the at least one spray nozzle using at least one steering motor to target the fire location.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising a step of establishing wireless communication with an emergency response center to report the fire incident.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising a step of opening a live video broadcast of the fire suppression operation through the thermal imaging camera.
11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising a step of monitoring wind direction using a wind direction sensor and positioning the robot upwind from the fire location.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of positioning the robot comprises calculating an optimal stopping position that accounts for wind direction to ensure extinguishing materials are carried toward the fire.
13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising a step of verifying the fire detection by requesting additional data from fire sensors located near the suspected fire location before moving the robot.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of analyzing fire patterns comprises using computer vision algorithms to determine fire characteristics including flame color, smoke pattern, heat intensity, and spread rate to classify the fire type.
15 . A rail-mounted fire suppression system for extended locations, comprising:
a pipe rack having an L-shaped profile and configured to support rail tracks and extinguishing material supply infrastructure;
an upper rail track and a lower rail track mounted on the pipe rack;
a robot configured to travel on the upper rail track and the lower rail track;
multiple fire sensors distributed along the pipe rack and configured to detect fire conditions;
multiple electric valves positioned at intervals along an extinguishing materials supply pipe mounted on the pipe rack;
a main supply track extending along a length of the pipe rack and configured to provide continuous electrical power;
flexible moving contact heads on the robot configured to maintain electrical contact with the main supply track during movement;
a controller on the robot configured to coordinate fire detection, analysis, and suppression operations using artificial intelligence; and
a thermal imaging camera on the robot configured to analyze fire characteristics and determine appropriate suppression strategies.
16 . The rail-mounted fire suppression system of claim 15 , wherein the pipe rack is mounted using wall brackets configured to secure the pipe rack to facility wall structures.
17 . The rail-mounted fire suppression system of claim 16 , further comprising an installation guide configured to enable vertical adjustment of the pipe rack levels according to equipment positioning requirements.
18 . The rail-mounted fire suppression system of claim 15 , wherein the robot comprises:
a housing;
an electric motor positioned inside the housing and connected to a driving wheel that engages with the upper rail track;
two driven wheels that engage with the lower rail track; and
at least one spray nozzle with at least one steering motor controlled by the controller.
19 . The rail-mounted fire suppression system of claim 18 , wherein the robot further comprises:
an electromagnetic coil configured to attract a metal chip in at least one lower extinguishing hose to establish connection with one of the multiple electric valves;
a return spring associated with the at least one lower extinguishing hose to maintain the hose in an ascending position when not connected; and
an electrical communication port configured to supply electrical power to the electric valve upon connection.
20 . The rail-mounted fire suppression system of claim 19 , wherein the main supply track comprises electrodes secured with fixing screws, and the flexible moving contact heads are connected to a contacts base that is controlled by an electromagnetic coil to adjust contact pressure during high-power operations.