Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Fire Department became the first city in the country to add a firefighting robot to their ranks--and it has already proven its metal on the frontlines. Weighing about 3,500 pounds, the Thermite Robotic Systems 3 firefighting vehicle--or RS3 for short--is capable of deploying about 2,500 gallons of water per minute. The vehicle, which can be controlled by a handheld remote from a safe distance, is also equipped with a high-definition video stream so that the operator can easily maneuver the robot through difficult conditions in the field. Although The Los Angeles Times reports that the RS3 is about the same size as a Smart car, it is small enough to fit through a set of double doors while also being strong enough to plow its way through a wall should the need arise. "We can fight the fire from inside," LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas told the news outlet, adding that the robot was a "game-changer" for his team.

With its bright-yellow armored body, grippy tank-like treads, plow nose and water cannon, the Los Angeles Fire Department's latest piece of equipment looks more like a Star Wars sidekick than a firefighting assistant. But this mini robot tanker is an inferno buster that pack a powerful punch of water or foam and can go where firefighters otherwise can't. The LAFD on Tuesday became the first fire department in the nation to acquire the Robotics Systems 3, a droid on steroids.LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said firefighters put their lives on the line when battling blazes. This year, 11 LAFD crew members were severely injured when a fireball engulfed four downtown buildings after a massive explosion that was ignited by hazardous materials.Now, firefighters can use RS3 as a safer alternative in battling potentially explosive blazes and it allows the department to get inside a burning building when humans could not dare enter safely. "I can afford to lose one of these wonderful machines, I cannot afford to lose a firefighter," Terrazas said, admiring the control pad that remotely operates the firefighting drone.On Tuesday morning, as flames engulfed a pair of industrial textile buildings in downtown L.A., firefighters …

Robots are about to become a lot more commonplace in our daily lives. If that much wasn't clear when Boston Dynamics' Spot rebot took an "evening stroll" last month, the Los Angeles Fire Department makes an even better case. This week, it became the first fire department in the US to deploy a "robotic firefighting vehicle." The LAFD's Thermite RS3 is a 3,500-pound robot that is about the size of Smart car. It's small enough that it can fit through a double set of doors, but, in true Robocop fashion, it can also plow or blast its way through a wall.

A firefighting robot got its first major test Tuesday in Los Angeles when it was put to use for the first time in the United States to battle a major blaze. The Los Angeles Fire Department said the Thermite RS3 robot was supposed to have its official public introduction in the afternoon but got called into duty a few hours early due to a blaze downtown. "It had already gotten dirty at an early morning major emergency commercial structure fire that morning - proving its value from the start," the department said. The Thermite RS3, manufactured by Textron: Howe & Howe Technologies, is a compact robotic firefighting vehicle that features a low center of gravity and wide chassis. The Los Angeles Fire Department debuted the first robotic firefighting vehicle in the United States, putting it to use on its first day in service Tuesday.

With its bright-yellow armored body, grippy tank-like treads, plow nose and water cannon, the Los Angeles Fire Department's latest piece of equipment looks more like a Star Wars sidekick than a firefighting assistant. But this mini robot tanker is an inferno buster that pack a powerful punch of water or foam and can go where firefighters otherwise can't. The LAFD on Tuesday became the first fire department in the nation to acquire the Robotics Systems 3, a droid on steroids. LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said firefighters put their lives on the line when battling blazes. This year, 11 LAFD crew members were severely injured when a fireball engulfed four downtown buildings after a massive explosion that was ignited by hazardous materials.

An 1,100-pound emergency robot helped to save a piece of human history during a blaze at Paris' Notre Dame cathedral that threatened to burn the historic monument to the ground. The formidable device, dubbed Colossus, a remote-controlled drone equipped with hoses and cameras, was able to roll its way into the cathedral to help fight the fire -- which burned through the structure's old wooden roof -- from within. Colossus, which is both fire-resistant, water-proof, and capable of carrying up to 1,200 pounds not only helped to stop the fire before it completely razed the structure, but reduced the need for fire fighters to enter the church where they would be in danger from falling debris. At the time, the cathedral was only 15 to 30 minutes away from being completely burned to the ground, reports say. Weighing in at 1,100 pounds, Colossus is a firefighting robot that can be controlled remotely.