What is Digg?24 Comments
- lethalpotato, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11they may be aided by robots one day, but never replaced...
- djvishnu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8WOW, I can't believe this made it to the digg front page. I work/study with the guys that are building Anaconda at the Institute of Cybernetics at NUTS (Norwegian University of Technology and Science). You really cant talk about how cool this thing is until you've seen it move, it's amazing! I'll try go get some videos of it, I know they're laying around here somewhere..
- Moly, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I'll tell you what. Howabout if you guys come out to my department and hang out. We'll fit you for turnout gear, hit a couple of cardiac arrests, maybe an MVA (a wreck for you non-whakRz), and a structure fire. Since none of you have ever seen live fire before (except the ones you started when you were spanked on the Chronic), and you haven't taken a single minute of a fire class, you're going to have to stand outside. However, that should be enough for you to get at least some idea of what we do. Then you can talk about it like you actually have a clue.
This is an interesting idea, but it will be a specialized device for specialized applications. First of all, you have to fit it on an engine. Since it won't lay flat that will be a problem. Current line for MOST departments consist of: 2-1/2" and 1-3/4" jacketed hose, which lays flat in the preconnect beds. Underneath the preconnects (USUALLY) is the booster pump for the engine. The back half of the engine is typically another hose bed, with LDH (large diameter hose, usually 4" or 5", also flat-lay, or LDH and 2-1/2" extra line. Underneath the rear bed is part 500 gallon booster tank, and part equipment, which depends on your response area.
So this device is going to require departments to go back to having a hose truck, i.e. a truck that carries nothing but this. Great. That's what every budget needs...a $250k truck to carry another toy.
Second, you have to get this beast TO the fire. In order for Anna to operate, the line has to be charged. In a 200' 2-1/2" line at 8 lbs/gal charged at 120PSI that's how much weight? Anybody? Second, the robot has to be able to move the charged line around corners, up and down stairs, breach walls and doors, and move obstacles, such as fallen ceilings in order to get where it needs to go.
Now in a specialized application like a grocery store or warehouse (or even some of the larger barns in our area) this could be a nice addition to the armament. However, it's hardly the first thing you're going to reach for when you arrive on scene. - darkdaedra, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I beg to differ. Haven't you seen Backdraft?
- sofa0ne, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I have to agree with lethalpotato on this one. Firefighters may have a safer job in the future because they will be able to use a robotic device like "Anna" but not replaced. There are many more skills that this robot would require in order to replace a firefighter. A firefighter simply does more than fight fires.
I don't understand why someone would promote technology as something that will take a firefighters job. So now firefighters should fear loosing there job because a piece of technology just made their life a little safer? - Shorties, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3The firefighters of the future will be cyborgs, no one will be replaced ;)
- V-Spec, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2dugg for the snakes on a flam remark!
- ByteGuerilla, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Yeah, no kidding. Way to ***** all over that meme.
- duke, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1No, they sleep at the firehouse so they can work their second job.
- danz740, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I concur with the above poster. The percentage of fire calls that are actually structure fires is actually rather low. I know my department only has about 5-10 structure fires a year, but we do plenty of other things too. Take a look at some of the pictures, you'll see we get a lot more MVA's than fires. http://www.valleyfires.com/
- Gregd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@Mikey
How bout reaching for the 1" hard line as a first attack? But in all seriousness, I don't see any firefighters losing their jobs anytime soon. As has already been pointed out, perhaps using this to augment the human element, but to replace that? Never..... - ketsugi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Isn't this at least the third Anna Konda article to hit the front page? Why is this such a big deal?
- Gregd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@ Mikey
"Since none of you have ever seen live fire before (except the ones you started when you were spanked on the Chronic), and you haven't taken a single minute of a fire class, you're going to have to stand outside. However, that should be enough for you to get at least some idea of what we do. Then you can talk about it like you actually have a clue."
I actually have to take exception to this. I have seen live fire and have a degree in Fire Protection. I also had NR-EMTB certification and HAZMAT operations level training, so don't lump all of us into your neat little compartment... - bossm4n, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4Ease up Mo. The project is called Anna Konda and he comes up with "Snakes on a flame". Now that's funny. Maybe they can get Samuel L. Jackson to do the training video.
- bedlam17, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2http://robotfuturenews.blogspot.com
http://roboticnation.blogspot.com - manveru, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Joel Siegel is that you!!??!
- Modulo, on 10/12/2007, -9/+8"Let's call it Snakes on a Flame" How about let's ***** not?
- bds268, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1WEAK NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4The title is so lame I had to bury it.
- TimmyGUNZ, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1I'm with you. I'll let someone dupe it without a lame-ass title and digg it! :)
- JoeyDeacon, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4Firemen spend most of their days watching porn and scratching their asses so I for one bow down in anticipation of our new robotic fire extinguishing masters....
- technofiend, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0
Sorry, but this sort of breathless hype over a prototype is exactly what wired, slashdot and Roland Piqawhatever's site is for. Keep this garbage off of digg. - kwazyJAS, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3It is a shame people can lose their jobs just because new technology. I would really hate to see firefighters be replaced by robots one day. I would rather see tools like the Anna Konda aid them in saving people and putting out fires.
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