Ars Technica May 2, 2026 at 11:30 Big Tech Stable Warm

Infrasound waves stop kitchen fires, but can they replace sprinklers?

Acoustic fire suppression goes commercial.

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By Cyrus Farivar Original source

Infrasound waves stop kitchen fires, but can they replace sprinklers?

In a makeshift demonstration kitchen in Concord, California, cooking oil splatters in and around a frying pan, which catches fire on an unattended gas stove. Within moments, a smoke detector wails. But in this demonstration, something less common happens: An AI-driven sensor activates and wall emitters blast infrasound waves toward the source of the fire in an attempt to put it out. The science of acoustic fire suppression, which has long been known and documented in scientific literature and the press, works by vibrating oxygen molecules away from a fuel source, depriving the fire of a critical component needed for combustion. Indeed, after just a few seconds of infrasound, the tiny kitchen blaze goes out. Read full article Comments

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