Firefighting

When it comes to putting out forest fires, the sooner that they're detected, the better. That's where a new forest-deployed sensor could come in, as it's powered by swaying tree branches.

Toyohashi University of Technology has developed an inside-out fire extinguisher for use inside spacecraft. Instead of spraying out extinguishing agents at a fire, the Vacuum Extinguish Method sucks the flames into a vacuum chamber, where they can be safely suffocated or extinguished.

Teijin has created a new firefighting suit that weighs 2.5kg and protects 60% better.