The Terrestrial Robotics Engineer and Control team at Virginia Tech is working on a firefighting robot named SAFFiR (pronounced “safer”). Specifically designed to fight fires on naval vessels, the bot has been equipped to navigate narrow passageways, climb ladders, and overcome obstacles. It must be able to see through flames, be smart enough to identify the source of a shipboard fire, and have hands sensitive enough to retrieve and operate a fire hose. 

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