---
title: "See the “Colossus” Firefighting Robot That Helped Save Notre Dame"
description: "When the Notre Dame blaze got too dangerous for humans to continue battling, the Paris Fire Brigade called in a firefighting robot named Colossus."
date: "2019-04-18"
modified: "2019-04-18"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/colossus-firefighting-robot-notre-dame"
categories:
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "colossus"
  - "firefighting robot"
  - "notre-dame"
  - "the digest"
---

# See the “Colossus” Firefighting Robot That Helped Save Notre Dame

![When the Notre Dame blaze got too dangerous for humans to continue battling, the Paris Fire Brigade called in a firefighting robot named Colossus.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/colossus-firefighting-robot-notre-dame.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Shark Robotics\</em\>*

## Blaze-Battling Bot

When soaring temperatures and a roof on the brink of collapse made it too dangerous for humans to continue battling the Notre Dame blaze on Monday, the Paris Fire Brigade called in a firefighting robot named [Colossus](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/04/17/firefighters-had-secret-weapon-when-notre-dame-caught-fire-robot-named-colossus/?utm_term=.6545579f2e10>) — a stunning demonstration of how [high-tech robots](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/autonomous-firefighting-robots>) are helping emergency responders stay safe on the job.

"It was a terrible situation, but it’s really amazing to see them put that robot to work and protect firefighters," Michael Howe, president of a company that manufactures another type of firefighting robot, [told *Popular Mechanics*](<https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/robots/a27183452/robot-firefighter-notre-dame-colossus/>), later adding that the tech is "100 percent the future."

https://youtu.be/RMWL1ysaYFg

## Colossal Help

French robotics manufacturer Shark Robotics created the 1,100-pound [Colossus robot](<https://www.shark-robotics.com/en/robot/colossus/>), which is waterproof, fireproof, and resistant to thermal radiation.

Firefighters can equip the robot with a variety of tools, including the water canon that the French firefighters used to blast the Notre Dame fire with more than 660 gallons of water per minute. It's operated via a joystick, which can function up to 1,000 feet away from the robot.

## Robot Co-Worker

Despite Colossus' advantages over human firefighters, Shark Robotics' co-founder Cyril Kabbara doesn't envision the bot ever operating fully autonomously.

"This is a robot that is designed to remove humans from danger," Kabbara [told *The Washington Post*](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/04/17/firefighters-had-secret-weapon-when-notre-dame-caught-fire-robot-named-colossus/?noredirect=on&utm_source=reddit.com&utm_term=.935198eb544d>). "Not to replace (humans) but to act as operational support for firefighters."

**READ MORE:** [Firefighters had a secret weapon when Notre Dame caught fire: A robot named ‘Colossus’](<https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/04/17/firefighters-had-secret-weapon-when-notre-dame-caught-fire-robot-named-colossus/?noredirect=on&utm_source=reddit.com&utm_term=.935198eb544d>) \[*The Washington Post*\]

**More on robot firefighters:** *[These Autonomous Bots Battle Blazes Too Dangerous for Firefighters](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/autonomous-firefighting-robots>)*

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)