Startup says sound waves can replace fire sprinklers; experts aren’t so sure

Acoustic fire suppression goes commercial.

See full article...

 

[WereCatf]

In Europe we insist mainly on avoiding fire with furniture that resist fire and houses are built in concrete.

I have no idea where you live but at least here in Finland that's not even remotely true. I don't know literally anyone who doesn't have at least one handheld fire extinguisher at home and many people have multiple ones. Some, like my husband and I, also have fireproof covers we can throw on any burning stuff to put fires out.

As for companies? They'd get fined all the way to hell and back if they got caught without fire extinguishers.

What is the reason to have fire extinguisher in a house ?

Um, to put fires out?

EDIT: I have to comment on the fire-resistant furniture as well: I have never heard of anyone having such, but even if people did have fire-resistant furniture they'd still have PLENTY OF OTHER FLAMMABLE STUFF LIKE CLOTHES, DECORATIVE ITEMS, PLASTICS OF ALL KINDS and so on. There's a ton of stuff people have all around their homes that burns easily and thus there's plenty of good reasons to have an extinguisher at hand!

 

[WereCatf]

FFS, is it important whether the sensor uses AI?

I can answer that: no, it's not. It's important to say it does, though, for all that lucrative investor money. Also, very often these companies use the term "AI" to describe traditional, hardcoded algorithms as well -- it's technically not a lie since there is no hard, legally-binding definition for what is and what isn't "AI", but it sounds far better to investors when you call it "AI."

 

[WereCatf]

Can you talk more about "fireproof covers"? I have heard of fire blankets for wildland firefighters to protect themselves in case of a fire, but nothing about a fire "blanket" to put out fires. I am curious.

I'm not sure what's there to say: the kinds of blankets you're thinking of are more insulative and not meant to be in direct contact with fire or burning material, whereas the ones I am talking are not meant to insulate one from the heat but rather to be in direct contact with fire and/or burning material and to suffocate it by preventing it from getting enough oxygen.

I'm not sure if there's really any practical difference between the two different kinds, but at least that's how it's been explained to me, ie. that they prioritize different things.