Hyundai’s robots are diving into the fray where humans typically hesitate. Four of these firefighting machines, built by one of the world’s largest automakers, have been turned over to South Korean fire departments. They are now the frontline defenders against the raging fires that destroy havoc and leave lasting wounds.
The development of these machines began with a military basis dubbed the HR-Sherpa, a rather durable unmanned vehicle platform from Hyundai Rotem. The engineers used that as a starting point and expanded on it to construct a six-wheeled electric beast capable of cruising right up to collapsing structures, toxic clouds, or explosive hazards ahead of personnel.
Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot（No Secondary Development）
- Sleek & Durable Design: Standing at 132cm tall and weighing only approx. 35kg, the G1 is constructed with aerospace-grade aluminum alloy and carbon...
- High Flexibility & Safe Movement: Boasting 23 joint degrees of freedom (6 per leg, 5 per arm), it offers an extensive range of motion. For safety, it...
- Smart Interaction & Connectivity: Powered by an 8-core high-performance CPU and equipped with a depth camera and 3D LiDAR. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and...
Each of the six wheels has its own motor, giving the robot great control and the ability to spin on the spot or tackle steep slopes. It has the power to easily cross a three-hundred-mile barrier and can manage 60 percent longitudinal and 40 percent sideways inclines that most other vehicles would struggle with. It can reach speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour, which is sufficient to cover a huge area in a large warehouse or underground garage.
Heat is one of the most serious threats these machines face, as flames can reach 800 degrees Celsius, hot enough to melt most ordinary equipment. However, the robot has a clever system to deal with this; it sprays itself with a cooling water curtain, keeping sensitive parts like the battery and controls at a steady 50 to 60 degrees. Special tires can withstand extreme temperatures, and the body has plenty of insulation to protect essential components.
A large water cannon mounted on the machine’s front can fire a precise stream or a wide spray, extinguishing flames from a distance. It also contains infrared cameras that can see through thick smoke and return real-time video to operators quickly, and the camera can detect hidden hotspots or people trapped within utilizing short and long wave thermal imaging.
The advanced driving system on board can scan the terrain, avoid obstacles, and even drive autonomously when necessary, while the operator remains safely outside the danger zone, guiding the robot remotely and monitoring all of the feeds in real time. In low-light or smoky settings, a handy tiny photoluminescent hose reel can help guide rescue personnel onto the site or indicate them escape routes; it’s all quite useful. Oh, and by the way, the robot collects a lot of data throughout each trip and sends it back to the ground crew to assist them better their future responses.
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