Self-driving aircraft may soon head to a wildfire near you

An audience of NASA, FEMA, and wildland firefighting officials recently witnessed the wildfire suppression capabilities of a reportedly “autonomous” Black Hawk helicopter.

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, partnered with autonomous aerial wildfire containment developer Rain to demonstrate the takeoff, wildfire identification, and water-drop accuracy capabilities of the helicopter.

Lockheed Martin originally announced the helicopter’s development in October, claiming the aircraft could be commanded solely on a tablet from 300 miles away.

“The MATRIX system is unique because it’s not a simple flight director following a planned route. Instead, the system acts fully independently, reacting to the dynamic combat environment to avoid threats, optimize routing, and execute emergency procedures if necessary,” the company said in an Oct. 17 release.

The recent 30-minute flight demonstration allowed officials to use the command tablet to take off, find the fire, and drop water from a Bambi Bucket 60 feet beneath the aircraft, the company said. The water drops reportedly extinguished 12-inch diameter propane-fueled fire rings to demonstrate the precision of the aircraft’s targeting capability.

“This technology that we used to think of as being on the horizon is here now, no longer just a figment of our imagination,” said Genevieve Biggs, director of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Wildfire Resilience Initiative and Special Projects program.

Lockheed Martin isn’t the only organization developing the once-on-the-horizon tech.

Sustainable Aviation Foundation President Brien Seeley recently published a paper on the feasibility and technical details of autonomous aerial fire-fighting (AAF) systems, including eTankers, building small AAF airparks, and autonomous payload carts for loading.

Milrem Robotics partnered with foam extinguishing technology specialist InnoVfoam to develop a line of Multiscope Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) for firefighter use, including hose use, post-fire extinguishing, and critical supply transport.

The Los Angeles City Fire Department has used a human-controlled water hose tank robot called Robotics Systems 3 (RS3) during fires in buildings with collapsing rooms since at least 2021, the department told Scientific American.

Some scientists, however, are skeptical of just how useful autonomous technology would be to the wildland firefighting force at large. Neil Sahota, an inventor who advises the United Nations on artificial intelligence issues, told Scientific American doubts communities would be willing to pay more than six figures for robots designed for very specific needs, especially for those that still struggle with mobility.

“The economies of scale aren’t quite the same as [for] mass manufacturing,” he said. “We don’t have enough firefighters as it is … With climate change, we’re already at the breaking point.”