One model which materialists use for their reductive view of consciousness is from physics: for instance, in the reduction of thermodynamics to statistical mechanics, the temperature of a gas is explained in terms of the mean kinetic energy of its constituent molecules.

ECONOMIST: Philosophy of consciousness

According to Popular Mechanics, the robots are only being used to put out fires involving Acetylene gas, which had previously simply been left to burn themselves out due to the risk of explosions.

ENGADGET: "Robot" firefighters get put into service