Rain, an autonomous aerial wildfire containment technology developer, and Sikorsky have partnered to demonstrate autonomous take-off, fire detection, and water-dropping capabilities using a Black Hawk.
The demonstration was executed at Sikorsky’s headquarters in Stratford, Connecticut. It showcased Rain’s wildfire mission autonomy system and Sikorsky’s MATRIX flight autonomy and how, when combined, they can provide efficient and innovative firefighting services.
“With Rain’s wildfire mission software loaded onto the aircraft and a tablet, wildland firefighters in the field could deploy autonomous Black Hawk or Firehawk helicopters to search and attack wildfires before they spread out of control,” said Igor Cherepinsky, Director of Sikorsky Innovations’ rapid development/prototyping group. “Having worked closely together for over a year, our two companies are ready to demonstrate the joint capability in more dynamic conditions chosen by firefighters.”
The 30-minute flight invited guests to command the Black Hawk via a tablet to take off, find a fire in its initial stages, and drop water using a Bambi Bucket. The Rain system adjusted the flight path during the water drops to account for crosswind. During the demonstration, Sikorsky safety pilots monitored the flight controls from the Black Hawk cockpit but remained hands-off for the entire flight.
“Government agencies, aerial firefighting operators, and investors are coming together to learn and see how both flight and mission autonomy can help prevent high-intensity million-acre wildfires,” commented Maxwell Brodie, Rain CEO. “Wildfires cost the United States over $390 billion annually, and multiple risk factors are set to grow up to 30% by 2030. We look forward to demonstrating to lawmakers how autonomous aircraft can stop fires from breaking out, or continue the fight into the night, and in turbulent and smoky conditions, where crewed aircraft wouldn’t venture.”
Representatives from NASA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and the Orange County Fire Authority were present.
“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. “It’s humbling to see this impressive machine and think about the improvement in safety that becomes possible when you’re layering into wildland firefighting an autonomous operation, as Rain and Sikorsky have been able to do together.”
Photos: Lockheed Martin
