Hyundai has designed a specialized vehicle to operate in dangerous situations and ensure greater safety for South Korean firefighters. The delivery of the robots took place at the end of February.
The multinational company donated four helper robots to the 119 National Rescue Headquarters in the city of Namyangju and another two to the fire department in North Chungcheong Province. They were first used on 30 January.
Over the past ten years, the Korea National Fire Agency has estimated that about 1,788 firefighters have been injured or killed while fighting fires.
The new vehicles are designed to operate in the early stages of fires, provide local information to firefighters and operate in environments with extreme conditions for the human body.
Hyundai developed the “robot firefighters” based on the military vehicle HR-Sherpa, developed by Hyundai Rotem.
They are equipped with infrared cameras with live streaming, allowing firefighters to map potential victims to be rescued.
The vehicles are equipped with powerful water jets, which are used both to extinguish flames and to cool the robots.
The company stated that they can maintain a temperature of 50 to 60 °C, even in conditions where the fire can reach 800 °C.
+See demonstration clip of fireman assisting robot
“We hope they will act as reliable teammates, entering dangerous areas before others to ensure the safety of firefighters,” the automaker’s CEO, Euisun Chung, said in a statement. Source and images: Official announcement from Hyundai Motor Group. This content is created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
