Russian Engineers Unveil Joystick-Controlled Firefighting Robot
The new machine can extinguish flames from 60 meters away—keeping firefighters out of danger zones.
Russian engineers have developed an innovative firefighting robot that can be controlled remotely with a joystick, allowing operators to combat fires safely from a distance. The machine combines hydraulics, sensors, and intelligent control systems to tackle blazes in environments too hazardous for humans—such as oil storage sites and chemical plants.
The robot’s control system is intuitive: one joystick directs movement, the other aims the water cannon, and a single button triggers a powerful jet of water or foam. Equipped with an onboard camera, the robot streams live video to the operator’s tablet, ensuring precise targeting even in zero-visibility conditions. Its hydraulic arm lifts the nozzle up to three meters high and fires a stream up to 60 meters, providing the range and force needed for industrial-scale firefighting.
The firefighting robot is part of a broader wave of digital transformation in Russian industry and safety systems. Across the country, scientists and engineers are developing predictive technologies to prevent disasters before they occur.
In Perm, for example, digital twins of bridges monitor structural elements like bearings in real time to forecast wear decades in advance. Researchers have also created a “hidden oscillations” theory that detects dangerous vibrations in hydroelectric equipment months before a potential failure.
From joystick-driven robots to AI-powered predictive analytics, these innovations form a multi-level safety ecosystem—one designed not just to respond to emergencies, but to anticipate and prevent them.
