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Engineering drones for extreme environments

Born from cutting-edge Empa research, FireDrone enables safe, reliable operations in high-temperature and hazardous environments.

Meet the team
Compact drone with four propellers and orange protective frame around its white and silver body.
Small white drone with a light flying near a large bright fire or explosion in the background.White quadcopter drone flying near a concrete wall amidst thick smoke or fog.Silver metallic drone with four propellers and a central camera facing forward.Top view of a white drone secured in black foam inside a yellow hard carrying case on a concrete floor.Two men in yellow safety jackets and white helmets looking up while holding a remote controller indoors.
Small drone with orange propeller guards viewed from the front on a white surface.White drone flying in front of large bright orange flames and fire smoke in the background.Orange and gray drone flying inside industrial facility with flames and smoke in the background.Small white drone on floor inside industrial building with a red and white FLY-ZONE warning sign nearby.White drone with four propellers and orange protective guards around each rotor.
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Protecting lives, reducing risks, enabling inspection without shutdown.


Our aim is to develop a robotic system to assist firefighters in their daily life, to not only make their tasks more safe, but to also help save lives all around the world.

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Origins

Backed by Empa

The FireDrone was developed at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), in collaboration between the Laboratory of Sustainability Robotics and the Superinsulation Materials Group. Combining expertise in robotics, materials science, and thermal management, the team created a drone capable of operating in extreme temperatures where conventional systems fail. What began as a research initiative to support first responders and high-temperature industries has evolved into a proven technology. Tested and validated under real fire and industrial conditions.

Discover the FireDrone
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Media

They talk about us

Explore selected stories featuring the FireDrone.

Review Press release and media kit
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Team

Our team

Engineers and innovators dedicated to technological excellence.

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Meet our founding team

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Fabian Wiesemüller

Co-founder

PhD Aeronautics from Imperial College London, MSc ETH Mechanical Engineering, Expert on robotics and materials science.

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David Häusermann

Co-founder

MSc ETH Mechanical Engineering, CAS Entrepreneurship ETHZ, CAS Systems Engineering HSLU, Expert on systems engineering.

Coaches

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Mirko Kovac

Scientific Advisor

Professor in Robotics at EPFL, Imperial College London and Head of the Sustainability Robotics Lab at Empa

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Anil Sethi

Innosuisse Coach

Serial entrepreneur, lecturer in entrepreneurship & author

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Let’s take firefighting and inspection to the next level

Discover how FireDrone can enhance safety, reduce downtime, and deliver actionable insights in your environment. Our team will help you find the right configuration for your needs.

Get in touch now