Fire Research Corp. this week introduced the Little Guy, a prototype robot designed for large-scale disasters. The robot can carry up to 800 feet of 5-inch hose and deliver 1,000 gpm of water by remote control.

“I’ve been thinking about this type of unit for a long time, particularly for large-scale disasters, railroad incidents, refinery fires and even docks,” said Jack McLoughlin, president of Fire Research Corp. and inventor of the Expendable1 robotic series of which The Little Guy is a part. “It’s basically an expendable unit.”

Without hose, the patent-pending robot weighs less than 400 pounds. It can be picked up by an aerial and placed on top of a flat roof. With its cutting device, the robot then can cut through the roof and deliver high volumes of water from above the fire. The robot also has a self-contained nozzle for cooling during operations.

Options for the Little Guy include infrared and regular cameras, as well as radiation and chemical detectors. The robot has an incoming relief valve and can blow air up through the hose to remove it.

“If you disconnect the hose, it will come back,” McLoughlin said.