Here’s a firefighting helicopter that’s also a self-flying robot

Fighting fire has never been easy--from homes that fall prey to an exploded gas cylinder to massive bush fires that are exacerbated by drought and hundreds of acres of dry brush, firefighters put their lives at risk every step of the way. Even with the most cutting-edge of fire-retardant gear and safety tools, having a human at the forefront means there is a very real risk of loss of life.

Enter Lockheed Martin’s self-flying helicopter, known as the K-MAX. Originally designed and built to be deployed in the thick of battle, it is now being repurposed to fight large-scale wildfires. Capable of lifting off with up to 2.7 tons of cargo at sea level, this copter can be retrofitted with a massive store of water for the express purpose of being dumped on raging fires beneath it.

In a demonstration recently, the self-flying chopper successfully flew to a lake, filled a large bucket of water, flew over to a mock fire site and dropped a ‘line of water’ that would prevent a real fire from spreading. All on its own, and with extreme precision. Each time, the helicopter refilled the bucket and returned to extend the water line simulating the ability to contain a widespread fire. The implications of this capability are enormous, considering the risks such a machine could alleviate.

Lockheed Martin hasn’t announced exactly when the K-MAX firefighting helicopter will be ready for primetime, but it certainly appears to be an excellent implementation of an autonomous system.

Watch this smart copter in action: