Hyundai Motor Group has developed an unmanned firefighting robot to replace firefighters at high-risk fire scenes. Starting with the introduction of four units this year, it plans to supply up to 100 units.
On the 24th, at the Capital Area 119 Special Rescue Unit in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, Hyundai Motor Group officially donated four unmanned firefighting robots to the National Fire Agency, with key officials including Chairman Chung Eui-sun of Hyundai Motor Group, President Sung Kim, Hyundai Rotem President Lee Yong-bae, Acting Commissioner Kim Seung-ryong of the National Fire Agency, and Director General for Planning and Coordination Lee Jin-ho in attendance.
The unmanned firefighting robot developed by Hyundai Motor Group with the National Fire Agency was built on Hyundai Rotem's electric multipurpose unmanned vehicle HR-Sherpa, which can be driven remotely. Equipped with a ▲water monitor ▲self-spraying system ▲visibility-enhancing cameras ▲remote controllers, it can carry out remote firefighting missions in place of firefighters even amid extreme heat and thick smoke.
Chairman Chung said, "The sight of firefighters leaping without hesitation into the thick of the fight to save lives reminds us of the values our society must uphold," adding, "Together with the National Fire Agency, we have developed unmanned firefighting robots to realize the value of 'safety' that you have protected."
He went on, "The unmanned firefighting robots donated today are equipment that condense Hyundai Motor Group's core technologies, a new mobility that embodies our shared goal of 'technology that saves lives,'" and added, "We hope they will be deployed one step ahead at dangerous scenes and become reliable teammates that safeguard your safety."
Chung Eui-sun said, "We will support vehicles and rehabilitation equipment for the National Fire Hospital, which opens in Jun., to help firefighters recover quickly," emphasizing, "Hyundai Motor Group will continue to provide the necessary technologies and support so that firefighters can carry out their duties in a safer environment."
Of the four unmanned firefighting robots donated that day, two were pre-positioned—one each at the Capital Area and Yeongnam 119 Special Rescue Units—at the request of the National Fire Agency and are already being deployed in real fire scenes. The remaining two are scheduled to be additionally deployed early next month—one each to the Gyeonggi Southern and South Chungcheong fire headquarters. Chung said, "We plan to deploy about 50 units over the next three years, and up to 100 units thereafter."
Hyundai Motor Group and the National Fire Agency expect the unmanned firefighting robots to be deployed to high-risk fire scenes to minimize firefighters' exposure to danger and help build a safer system for firefighting and rescue. According to last year's statistical yearbook of the National Fire Agency, over the past 10 years a total of 1,802 firefighting officials were injured or died in the line of duty due to fires.
Taking this situation into account, Hyundai Motor Group developed the unmanned firefighting robot with the goal of reducing firefighters' injury risks in disaster environments by actively reflecting on-site feedback from firefighters and concentrating the group's technological capabilities.
A Hyundai Motor Group official said, "We expect unmanned firefighting robots not only to be used for initial suppression at large fires where firefighters have difficulty approaching or at fire scenes with concerns about structural collapse, but also to help in the process of deciding whether rescue teams should enter." As the unmanned firefighting robot is an electrified piece of equipment, unlike conventional internal-combustion fire vehicles, it is expected to be effectively deployed even at underground fire scenes that are oxygen-poor and confined.