Topsky Small fire reconnaissance robot

Every incident commander weighs two costs against each other: the time needed to learn what lies inside a hazard zone, and the exposure of the person sent to find out. The Topsky Small fire reconnaissance robot is designed to remove the second cost without adding to the first. It is a compact crawler, no more than 610mm long and 200mm high without its antenna, with a maximum linear speed of at least 2.7m/s. It returns live pictures from a 2-channel HD camera while the team stays back. Its low build also lets it inspect places a standing firefighter cannot easily see, such as beneath a car body or under the bottom of a storage shelf.

Robots Middle East supplies the RXR-C10D to fire and rescue services, industrial operators and safety contractors across the Middle East. Our team prepares each quotation, advises on the expansion modules and communication options that suit your site, and arranges delivery, commissioning support and after-sales service for the robot throughout the region.

Background

Topsky and its range of fire robots

Topsky offers a family of ground robots for fire and emergency work. In the range carried by Robots Middle East, the small reconnaissance robot sits alongside machines whose names describe heavier tasks, such as the Topsky Firefighting smoke exhaust and fire extinguishing robot and the Topsky All-terrain fire fighting robot. Those machines belong to the business of tackling the fire itself. The RXR-C10D belongs to the minutes before that, when the task is to understand the scene: where the hazard is, what the air contains and which route is safe. The whole range can be browsed under Firefighting Robots.

A crawler with a front double swing arm

The chassis combines crawler tracks with a front double swing arm. The swing arms raise the leading edge of the robot onto an obstacle, and the tracks then carry the body over it. On this design the robot can cross vertical obstacles of 280mm at most and climb a 360mm platform, which lets it adapt to varied terrain for rapid deployment. Both swing arms can be removed freely, so the robot can be run with or without them to suit the scenario. The tracks themselves are made of flame-retardant, anti-static and high-temperature-resistant rubber with Kevlar inside, and have a derailment protection design.

Technical Specifications

Specifications are as published by the manufacturer and are confirmed against the datasheet at quotation. The manufacturer has not published the battery capacity, the charging time, the camera resolution, the operating temperature range, the gas detection sensor types or the ground clearance; these are confirmed at quotation.

How does the RXR-C10D work in low and confined spaces?

Much of the risk at an incident sits close to the ground and out of sight. Leaking fuel gathers under vehicles, and stored goods hide whatever is happening at the base of a rack. A robot that stands tall cannot look into those gaps, and a firefighter would have to kneel or crawl into an unknown atmosphere to do so. The RXR-C10D is built the other way round. With a height of no more than 200mm without the antenna, it is intended for reconnaissance in small and low spaces such as the bottom of a car body and the bottom of a shelf.

Low height alone would be of limited value if the robot could not reach the space in the first place. The swing-arm chassis gives it a route over the clutter around an incident: it climbs 45 degree slopes and 40 degree stairs, spans trenches 41 cm wide and mounts a 360mm platform. Where the arms would be in the way, for instance in a particularly tight gap, they can be taken off. The robot therefore approaches over rough ground and then slips into the low space without changing machines.

How does the robot stay in contact when the signal is blocked?

Reconnaissance is only as useful as the link that carries the pictures back. In open conditions the robot transmits wireless video over 500m in two-point communication. Buildings, vehicles and steel structures break that line of sight, so an optional three-point communication mode extends the wireless video distance to 800m in the open and is intended for scenes with occlusion. The robot also offers wired control over a distance of 100m, so the operator can keep driving it through a cable where signal interference makes radio unreliable. Together these options give a crew a choice of links, rather than a single connection that fails at the first wall.

Who is the Topsky Small fire reconnaissance robot for?

The first group of buyers is municipal and civil defence fire services, who need a robot that can be carried to a scene and sent forward quickly, ahead of any crew entry. A weight of no more than 25kg and an IP67 rating for the whole robot suit that kind of fast, all-weather deployment.

The second group is industrial operators with their own emergency teams: refineries, petrochemical and gas facilities, power plants and chemical stores. For these sites the gas detection module and the flame-retardant, anti-static tracks matter most, because the robot is meant to enter flammable and explosive environments that a person should not approach.

A third group covers logistics warehouses, car parks and transport depots, where the hazard is often low down among shelving or vehicles. Security and hazardous materials teams may also find the small size useful for inspecting under vehicles.

Buyers whose main task is suppressing a fire rather than surveying it should compare this robot with the extinguishing machines in the Firefighting Robots category. Those whose brief includes mapping a scene may also wish to look at the Topsky Firefighting reconnaissance modeling robot; Robots Middle East can set out the differences between the two with the quotation.

What is the Topsky Small fire reconnaissance robot used for?

1. Pre-entry reconnaissance: sending live video from inside a burning or smoke-filled structure before any crew enters.
2. Gas detection: carrying the gas detection module into flammable or explosive areas to check the atmosphere remotely.
3. Under-vehicle inspection: looking beneath car bodies in car parks, depots or tunnels where leaks and hazards collect.
4. Warehouse and shelving checks: reaching the bottom of storage shelves where stored goods block a person's view.
5. Scene survey with lidar: fitting the lidar module to gather information on the layout of a space the crew cannot yet see.
6. Remote handling: adding the robotic arm module so the operator can deal with objects at the scene from a distance.

Pricing and Availability

Robots Middle East supplies the RXR-C10D on quotation, because the final configuration depends on the expansion modules, the communication mode and the training your team requires. Delivery, customs clearance and technical support are arranged with the quotation, so you receive one complete offer for your site or service. To begin, please send us a short description of your application through the quotation request form available on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the robot detect gas?

Yes, when it is fitted with the gas detection module, which is one of its expansion options. Our team can advise on fitting the module for the atmosphere you expect at your site.

Is the robot waterproof?

The whole robot carries an IP67 protection level. This makes it suitable for wet conditions such as firefighting water and rain.

How long can it operate on a single charge?

The continuous walking time is at least 2h on its ternary lithium battery. The robot is fully electric, so there is no engine to refuel at the scene.

Can it climb stairs and cross obstacles?

Yes. It climbs 40 degree stairs and 45 degree slopes, crosses vertical obstacles of 280mm, mounts a 360mm platform and spans trenches 41 cm wide.

What happens if the wireless signal is blocked?

The optional three-point communication mode is intended for scenes with occlusion and extends wireless video to 800m in the open. The robot can also be controlled by cable over 100m where interference makes radio unreliable.

Can the swing arms be removed?

Yes, the dual swing arms can be disassembled freely. This allows the robot to be used in more scenarios, including tight spaces where the arms are not needed.

Where can I buy the Topsky Small fire reconnaissance robot and what does it cost?

You can buy it from Robots Middle East, which supplies and supports it across the Middle East. The cost depends on the configuration you choose, so we prepare a quotation for your requirements.

Summary

The choice between fast information and a safe crew is one that fire services should not have to make, and the RXR-C10D is built to take that choice away. It goes forward instead of a person, over stairs, slopes, trenches and platforms, and then lowers its view into the gaps beneath vehicles and shelves. Its tracks resist flame and static, its body is rated IP67, and its links keep video coming back by radio or cable. With modules for gas detection, lidar, a reconnaissance gimbal or a robotic arm, it can be configured for the reconnaissance task at hand. For fire and industrial safety teams in the Middle East who want answers before anyone steps inside, this page is the starting point.