Ocado automated/robotic warehouse fire (UK) 8

[tygerdawg]

I caught the slightest whiff of information about this on another discussion forum.

The comments from the other forum indicated this facility is a highly automated warehouse distribution center with autonomous robots. A fire started, spread quickly with robots moving at rapid speed, and the facility made for robots and not necessarily humans. Apparently despite being heavily sprinklered, the place burned to the ground.

Details I have found are sketchy:

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47160448

https://www.ifsecglobal.com/fire-ne...new-fire-protection-complexities-says-expert/

Would any of our colleagues from Across The Pond care to provide enlightenment?

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[LittleInch]

Maybe the robots did stop, but looking at the videos of the site this could have prevented the sprinklers from accessing the fire under one of the robots. Also the robots worked on complex grid system. Any damage to the robots sensors or blocked lanes would throw it into chaos.

Will be interesting to see if we ever do how they analysed the sprinkler layout taking into account the 1100 moving blocks above combustible material.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[itsmoked]

If fire is detected all those robots should've left the building, maybe onto a ramp in the parking lot, to give the fire system a chance and to remove probably several megawatts of battery energy from the evolving calamity.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[JStephen]

Robot arson, perhaps? Similar to a prison riot.

 

[JohnRBaker]

From this article it appears that many of the robots were still in operation while the fire fighters were trying to extinguish the fire:

Ocado robots at Andover warehouse ‘hampered’ firefighters

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ocado-robots-at-andover-warehouse-hampered-firefighters-gwtj0zqd7

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
EX-Product 'Evangelist'
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[stookeyfpe]

Interesting. In the US the requirements in the International Fire Code addresses this specific issue. The material handling equipment is required to shut down upon sprinkler water flow.

 

[Pud]

I'm sure the requirements/standards will go up when the insurance industry decides not to insure unless...blah, blah, blah.. is done.

www.tynevalleyplastics.co.uk

Politicians like to panic, they need activity. It is their substitute for achievement.

 

[EdStainless]

In the US if your equipment does not shut down in a fire then you insurance Co will likely not pay since you wern't complying with the rules.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[Spartan5]

I read this as “Avocado automated/robotic warehouse fire.” Which made it even funnier to me to think about flaming robots scurrying around with armloads of produce while the building burned around them.

 

[VEBill]

I wonder if the individual robots have a smoke sensor to detect fire and shutdown...

It seems clear that AI applied to the physical world requires all the usual senses (vision, feel, smell, etc.).

Sooner or later we will being seeing Autonomous Vehicles wandering around, oblivious to the fact that they're on fire....or worse.

I'm not sure that this seemingly rather-obvious conclusion has yet been 'hoisted aboard' by the applicable industries.

 

[BUGGAR]

And we are getting into autonomous cars. Picture a fire in the Queens Tunnel.

 

[RVAmeche]

FYI, the cause was an electrical fault with a charging unit.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-48094801

 

[thebard3]

I'm still hoping for release of security video showing flaming robots driving around, spreading the fire throughout the place.

Brad Waybright

It's all okay as long as it's okay.

 

[itsmoked]

I'm always most struck by the phenomenal pollution and waste of natural resources things like this cause. Think of the hit a landfill gets from this mess.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Compositepro]

There will be a lot less going to the landfill than if there had been no fire. Everything eventually goes to a landfill unless it gets burned (including people).