Hyundai Engineering & Construction said on the 4th that it will expand the adoption of unmanned robots for construction site environment and safety management.
Hyundai Engineering & Construction recently completed a field test of reducing fugitive dust using a water-spraying drone at the reconstruction and maintenance project site of the Gwacheon Jugong complexes 8 and 9. In this test, the company comprehensively checked the drone's performance, flight stability, and work linkage in an actual demolition environment.
Demolition sites require both fugitive dust reduction and worker safety. Reducing fugitive dust is an essential environmental management activity, but the process can pose risks such as slipping, electric shock, and collisions with heavy equipment. In particular, in places where it is difficult for workers and equipment to access, such as high-rise sections or structurally unstable areas, concerns about safety accidents have been raised continuously, and there have been limits to fugitive dust control due to insufficient water spraying.
Hyundai Engineering & Construction conducted the test by deploying a water-spraying drone to sections where fugitive dust occurred and concentrating 50 liters of water per minute within a radius of up to 12–15 meters under calm conditions. By using a drone directly connected with a power cable and a water hose, it operated without constraints on flight time or water supply, and it enabled flexible operation tailored to construction progress by adjusting the spraying position and range in real time for dust generation points that changed from time to time.
With remote control minimizing workers' access to hazardous areas while allowing work without location constraints, it is expected to improve fugitive dust reduction, work safety, and work efficiency compared to conventional water-spraying trucks or fixed dust reduction systems.
A Hyundai Engineering & Construction official said, "This test confirmed the applicability of water-spraying drones to demolition sites, and we plan to apply them to various sites and demolition processes going forward," adding, "We will lead the creation of a safer and more sustainable construction environment by expanding the introduction and testing of diverse smart construction technologies, including wearable robots, material transport robots, and cleaning robots."
Meanwhile, HMG Construction Technology Research Institute, the integrated research and development (R&D) organization of Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Hyundai Engineering, is pursuing safety and quality improvement based on artificial intelligence (AI) and Robotics, and smart construction as its core research areas. Through research and development of various smart construction technologies, including ground-controlled tower cranes, the quadruped walking robot Spot, and unmanned drone stations, it is driving innovation at construction sites and focusing on enhancing worker safety and on-site operational efficiency.