This robotic snake can fly into buildings to put out fires

In ancient times, strange and violent wyrms crawled out of caves and gullies to attack and burn unsuspecting townfolk as they slept. Now, researchers at Tohoku University and National Institute of Technology, Hachinohe College, in Japan, have turned the tables on these terrible fire breathers, creating a flying snake robot that flies around spraying water and putting out fires.

The robot, called DragonFireFighter, uses powerful jets of water to maneuver itself in the air and then aim its twin “fangs” of water at fires it finds. It’s far from autonomous – it still needs a gantry and water pump, both of which keep its tail grounded – but the head of the hose can squeeze into tight spaces, turn, and aim.

The current model is only two meters long but the researchers believe they can simply add segments to make it a bigger, badder dragon. Further, the steering system is still not exactly perfect but you can see the benefits of having a long, water-spraying hose that can sneak into small spaces where firefighters can’t go. Unlike the wyrms of old, however, this dragon puts out fires instead of spreading mayhem. How far we’ve come!