As part of my team’s entry to the XPRIZE Wildfire competition, I led rapid prototyping efforts for two payload designs that remotely actuate a fire extinguisher using a servo motor. The competition challenges teams to detect and suppress wildfires within a 10 km area in under 10 minutes. Our team reached the semifinals, placing in the top 15 out of 100+ global entries. Both prototypes use an STM32 microcontroller and a 50 kg servo to trigger the extinguisher. One uses a custom rack-and-pinion mechanism to press the handle, while the other uses a spool system with a metal wire attached to both extinguisher arms. Triggered with a single command, the system rotates the motor, pulling the handles together to discharge the suppressant. Programmed in C, both designs proved fast, reliable, and suitable for autonomous drone deployment in wildfire response.
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