World's first AI firefighting system extinguishes oil fires on ships

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has developed the world’s first AI-driven autonomous firefighting system specifically designed to detect and extinguish oil fires aboard naval vessels, even under challenging sea conditions. Unlike traditional systems that flood entire compartments with extinguishing agents, KIMM’s technology uses AI-based fire verification and reinforcement learning to accurately identify real fires and target suppression precisely at the source. This approach minimizes unnecessary damage from false alarms. The system integrates sensors, fire monitors, and a control unit capable of estimating fire location with over 98% accuracy, and can discharge foam up to 24 meters. It has been successfully tested in simulated ship compartments and real-world conditions aboard the ROKS Ilchulbong amphibious assault ship, demonstrating stable operation in waves up to one meter high. Developed by Senior Researcher Hyuk Lee and his team, the system adapts to ship movement using a reinforcement learning algorithm that adjusts nozzle aiming based on six degrees of freedom acceleration data. It