Robotic Dogs and Drones—FDNY Robotics Unit Wows Scholars’ Academy Students

By Kami-Leigh Agard

Last Thursday, April 10, walking into the FDNY Robotics Unit’s event at Scholars’ Academy, one may have been shocked to see Boston Dynamics’ Spot, a life-sized robotic Dalmatian, and his shiny firetruck red canine friend gleefully trotting around the high school’s gymnasium, wowing middle and high school students with their intelligent interactions. Students also got the chance to fly FDNY drones that amazingly could be guided with utmost precision, flying through hoops and rounding sharp bends across the gym. The FDNY Robotics Unit’s goal was not just about wowing students with robotic dogs, sophisticated drones and VR headsets, but inspiring a future for high school students—marrying public service with technology.

According to FDNYPRO.org, on March 6, 2017, the FDNY launched its first-ever tethered drone to respond to a fire in a six-story building on Crotona Park North in the Bronx. It was a ground-breaking moment. After September 11, 2001, the need for enhanced situational awareness became a priority for new fire department technology.

FDNY showcased how robotic dogs, like Boston Dynamics’ Spot—an industrial-grade, large-sized quadruped, which has been adopted by various fire and rescue departments for tasks such as fire reconnaissance and emergency operations—can navigate challenging terrains and access areas where firefighters cannot go, such as subway tracks or collapsed buildings. Robotic dogs help with hazardous materials responses, building collapses and emergencies underground. In 2022, the FDNY purchased two Spot robots to use in search and rescue operations in hazardous situations. “These dogs are actually very good at walking on the subway tracks,” said Andrew Scharf of the FDNY.

The drones were also demonstrated, showcasing their ability to provide real-time video and audio feeds from incident scenes, improving situational awareness for fire crews.

However, the FDNY Robotics Program isn’t confined to just fire incidents, but also the safety of NYC beaches.

Just last July, when five swimmers got stuck on a jetty, sending Rockaway Beach lifeguards to the rescue, backing them up was the FDNY, whose drone guided the lifeguards.

According to FDNY Lt. Dave Melendez, Robotics Response Manager, drones used in firefighting is now part of a Beach Task Force supporting lifeguards at a time when they’re in high demand and short supply.

Lt. Melendez said, “In the last couple of years, we’ve been a part of the Rockaway community as beach patrol. So, during the summertime from May to September, we help augment the lifeguards’ rescue efforts. Not just during official beach hours, but also when the lifeguards end their shift, and there’s a gap from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

“For us at the FDNY, Rockaway is the real Atlantic Ocean. Of all our NYC beaches, it’s the most dangerous. So, we help with providing aerial coverage with our drones for any kind of rip currents or other water and weather conditions that might affect our swimmers, or people enjoying the beach, as well as any kind of marine wildlife that might affect people in the water.”

Lt. Fred Carlson relayed an incident when two years ago, a woman was bitten by a shark. He said, “Somebody was chomping the water, and that’s what brought the shark in when she was there. By the way, if you see somebody chomping the water, don’t go swimming. In the meantime, the governor said that the FDNY has drones. What about the Parks Department? Well guess what? The Parks Department does not have any licensed pilots or training on how to utilize a drone or drop a personal floatation device (PFD) from a drone.

“So, that’s where the fire department comes in. We agreed to assist the Parks Department and the lifeguards. Rockaway has some of the best lifeguards in the world. We support them now with drones, PFDs and this past year, we added that our pilot is now assisted with a rescue swimmer.”

As for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) aspect for students at Scholars’ and other schools, District 27 Acting Superintendent Melissa Compson raved about how pleased she was with the students’ reception, and keen desire to learn more about the technology and its social impact.

“Scholars’ is the first school in the district to host this event with the FDNY Robotics Unit. Many of our schools are in a beach community, and this technology is something our students will see on a daily basis throughout the summer and even the off-season. How the FDNY is utilizing this technology to support the community, and students even seeing themselves in careers around robotics and engineering to also help keep their communities safe.

“So, many of these students, even my own kids, they build their own drones. With this FDNY Robotics Unit event, they get to see how this evolving technology is connected to their community and future.”

According to Compson, the next school to get involved with the FDNY Robotics Unit is local Waterside School For Leadership.

Scholars’ junior Ikhlaas Mohamed, president of the school’s Robotics Club, shared, “Honestly, this was really cool and informative. The main goal of this event today was to not only for our high school and middle school students to have fun, but also to get them to learn something new. We’re learning that these drones can be used for a lot more than just really fun things like racing. Their aerial cameras can be used to track and locate potential drowning victims, making sure that beachgoers are keeping safe, and also respecting the rules of the beach. At the same time, these drones help with conservation programs and initiatives for the ecosystem as well.”

Dario Panday, also in the 11th grade, commented on how drones and robotic dogs can also fight crime. “This technology can provide surveillance on high crime areas, keeping residents safer. This event shows the importance of technology in today’s society,” he said.

As for 10th-grader Yudesh Singh, the FDNY Robotics Unit’s demonstration was not just eye-opening, but transformative.

“This event really shaped my perspective on the number of opportunities and things that we can do with robots. The robotic dog was something I wouldn’t really expect to see in Rockaway. This was a very transformative experience. With STEM and safety, this is an amazing addition to our police and fire departments. It would save lives. It would prevent an officer death or injury. It’s just a concept that really needs to be explored more and integrated into our daily lives,” he said.