When a fire breaks out, every second counts. For firefighters, stepping into a burning building means facing intense heat, smoke, and unknown conditions.
But a group of college students and graduates in Texas are developing a robot that could one day help firefighters detect danger before they cross a threshold.
FireBot is built by Paradigm Robotics, an early-stage startup founded by University of Texas engineering graduate Siddhart Thakur. Its purpose is to go where firefighters can’t go – to the heart of a fire – and send back vital information.
“The FireBot story began almost 13 years ago, when there was a large structure fire in Houston, Texas that unfortunately killed five firefighters. Learning about two of them gave me the motivation and inspiration to start working on developing a robot to help firefighters enter structure fires,” Thakur told CNN.
When he was just 10 years old, he started sketching designs. By the age of 13, he was testing makeshift prototypes he built using a backyard grill. Today, FireBot is a 300-pound, 4-foot-long robot made of stainless steel, tungsten, and titanium, and designed to withstand extreme temperatures, corrosive chemicals, and even roof collapse.
“We are building incredibly rugged unmanned ground robots designed to enter hazardous environments, gain situational awareness, and keep first responders out of harm’s way,” Thakur explained.
This robot could revolutionize the future of firefighting
The latest version, FireBot v4, can withstand temperatures of up to 650°C (approximately 1,200°F) for 15 minutes. It is equipped with thermal cameras, visual cameras and gas sensors. Remotely controlled via a handheld device, the robot can transmit live video and thermal readings from inside a burning structure.
Other companies have developed robots to assist firefighters, such as Thermite RS3, made by Maine-based Howe & Howe Technologies, and Colossus, made by French company Shark Robotics, which was deployed during the 2019 Notre Dame Cathedral fire in Paris. But FireBot is much smaller and lighter than those devices, and is designed to gather information rather than put out flames.
To refine the design, the young inventors worked closely with fire departments in Austin, Texas, Round Rock, and elsewhere.
“When I first saw it, I thought robots were going to put us out of business,” Round Rock Fire Chief Shane Glaser said. “But this is a tool to provide support. It’s not meant to put us out of work.”
Glaiser believes FireBot could be especially useful in situations involving hazardous materials. “When you have a hazardous materials incident and you don’t know exactly what chemical is leaking or where it’s leaking, it takes time to assemble a team and get on scene. This could allow for rapid deployment. Real-time data can be returned to external responders.”
Former Austin Fire Chief Richard L. Davis helped spearhead the nation’s first fire department robotics program and currently serves as a consultant for Paradigm Robotics. He has been advising the team on how the device can be adapted to real-world operations.
“The biggest feature I see with FireBot is its fire resistance,” he said. “FireBot can withstand up to about 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Think of a firefighter’s protective suit. The suit can only withstand about 200 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. So it’s beneficial to be able to go inside and get all kinds of information that you need.”
He said the robot’s reconnaissance capabilities give incident commanders “the information they need to de-escalate the situation, which ultimately saves lives.”
Thakur and his co-founder Krishnan Ram see their work as part of a broader mission to make robotics more accessible to first responders. “Everyone here has a love for the mission of helping firefighters,” Lamb said. “It’s really great to try to build something that adds value for them.”
FireBot is under development and being tested in collaboration with fire departments across the country. But its developers hope that one day all fire trucks will be equipped with robots that can encounter dangers that humans cannot.
“Our dream is to make these robots available to all firefighters so they can perform their duties more safely,” Thakur said.
