A DCD (Damage Control Drone) is a robot used aboard starships to rapidly execute damage control operations, mainly to address fires and loss-of-pressure casualties.
The DCD is a flying trirotor robot with panoramic thermographic and visible light sensors. Roving DCDs pass through all pressurized spaces as a supplement to fixed fire and atmospheric sensors. It is able to fly effectively in gravity environments from freefall to 1.5g, albeit with progressively reduced endurance under increasing gravity. Its main store of energy is an ultracapacitor bank, which is recharged frequently from low voltage contacts placed on corridor ceilings. It also has a high-energy-density primary cell for emergency use.
The DCD has an sonic phased array fire extinguisher with supplemental fluorocarbon spray, and a rapid-cure two-part expanding resin remote applicator system to patch hull breaches up to 20 cm diameter. Using Doppler ultrasound, it can identify air movement patterns and pinpoint micro-leaks.
The DCDs are overseen by a human who can take manual control of them. When the DCD detects a hazardous condition, it takes corrective action and sounds appropriate alarms within the bounds of its programming without manual control.