GERMANY: Austrian company Rosenbauer and Augsburg fire service have unveiled a prototype firefighting robot for use in the tram tunnel now being completed under the city’s main railway station.
In the event of an accident or fire in a tunnel, the remotely controlled robot equipped with cameras and water cannons is designed to enter the tunnel, transmit video images of the situation and then start combatting the fire, reducing the risk to human firefighters. The robot is also intended to be able to move heavy equipment into the tunnel, with the aim of improving access to locations which fire engines and other road vehicles would find too constrained.
The robot has a chain drive arrangement that enables it to move on rails as well as over off-road terrain and potentially underwater. According to Augsburg municipality, a number of fire departments worldwide have already expressed an interest in the technology.
The tram tunnel forms part of the Augsburg Hauptbahnhof Mobility Hub project, and the tramway itself is expected to open to traffic by the end of 2027. The tunnel under the station and underground turning loop are intended to improve interchange access between the tram network and main line trains at the station; the long-planned project also includes significant enhancement of Augsburg Hbf to improve passenger circulation and amenities, but the pandemic and supply chain challenges have held work up by several years.
