Next in Wildfire Response: Self-Flying Helicopters

Piloting a helicopter over forests enveloped by fire is a dangerous business—which is why experts are working on a plan to pull pilots from Blackhawks, while keeping the helicopters themselves in the air. Texas A&M University is working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to bring DARPA's Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) to up to four UH-60 Blackhawks, allowing them to drop water, make deliveries, and survey the surroundings in areas too dangerous for human pilots to operate. The AI-powered helicopters will be developed and tested over two years, at which point "Texas could be among the first states to use AI-powered helicopters in active wildfire response," per the Houston Chronicle.

The Texas Legislature approved some $60 million for the project, which is also supported by ALIAS developer Sikorsky Aircraft, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas A&M Forest Service, and various emergency response teams. "Texas gets more than its share of disasters, and we at the Texas A&M System promise to continue our work to leverage the latest technologies and innovative ideas to make our great state as safe as possible," says A&M Chancellor Glenn Hegar. Since ALIAS' 2013 launch, there have been autonomous flights involving 20 types of aircraft. This project focuses on wildfire response, which can involve high heat and wind as well as smoke. The team plans to test fully automated and semi-automated flights, the latter involving AI as a "co-pilot," per NBC DFW.