Unmanned firefighting robots deployed to rescue units across South Korea

by Featured NewsFire SuppressionProjectsVehicles

Firefighting robots donated to Korea National Fire Agency

Hyundai Motor Group has donated four unmanned firefighting robots to South Korea’s Korea National Fire Agency (KNFA) to support fire suppression in high-risk environments.

The Group confirmed that a donation ceremony took place on 24 February at the National 119 Rescue Headquarters in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province.

Two firefighting robots have already been deployed to 119 Special Rescue Units in the Capital and Yeongnam regions and are in use during live fire operations.

Two additional units will be delivered to the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire Headquarters in Hwaseong and the Chungnam Provincial Fire Headquarters.

Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group, said: “Firefighters who rush into danger without hesitation to save lives remind us of the values our society must uphold.

“In partnership with the Korea National Fire Agency, we developed the Unmanned Firefighting Robot to help realize the very value of ‘safety’ that firefighters have long protected.

“The Unmanned Firefighting Robots that we are donating embody Hyundai Motor Group’s core technologies and represent a new form of mobility built on our shared goal of ‘technology that saves lives.’

“We hope they will serve as reliable teammates, entering dangerous scenes ahead of others to safeguard the firefighters’ safety.

“When the National Fire Hospital opens this June, we will support firefighters’ swift recovery by donating vehicles and rehabilitation equipment.

“Hyundai Motor Group will continue to provide the technologies and support needed to ensure that firefighters can carry out their missions in a safer environment.”

Seung-ryong Kim, Acting Commissioner of the Korea National Fire Agency, said: “This initiative marks the first step in a paradigm shift that will redefine disaster response.

“We will continue to actively introduce advanced technology to the field through innovative collaboration with the private sector, including Hyundai Motor Group, a global mobility leader.”

Robot design and operational capabilities

Hyundai Motor Group developed the unmanned firefighting robot in collaboration with the KNFA based on Hyundai Rotem’s electrified multi-purpose unmanned vehicle, the HR-Sherpa.

The robot is equipped with a front-mounted water cannon capable of delivering both direct and spray-type water streams to address different fire conditions.

A self-spraying cooling system creates a protective water curtain around the vehicle, enabling it to maintain an internal temperature of 50 to 60°C when exposed to external temperatures reaching 800°C.

An infrared camera supports object detection through smoke and flames and helps identify fire origins and individuals requiring rescue.

Operators receive real-time video via a wireless connection, enabling remote control of driving and firefighting functions.

The vehicle uses high-temperature-resistant tyres and a six-wheel independent drive in-wheel motor system to support mobility across debris and uneven terrain.

Has the semiconductor shortage impacted fire and safety market?

by Featured NewsProductsThermal Imaging

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a rise in the uptick of digital technologies across different industry. However, the global semiconductor market has been facing an ongoing shortage due to various factors ranging from bottlenecks in the global supply chain and the pandemic itself, IDTechEx reported.

In the fire and safety market, RFID chips are being increasingly used in items such as SBCA firefighter clothing, helmets, regulators, vehicles, and other equipment. The technology works as the reader transmits a signal to unique tags, which respond with product data. This means teams can precisely track and take inventory of valuable assets and equipment.

Impinj, one of the leading UHF chip suppliers, stated in its Q3 2021 earnings call that semiconductor crisis has resulted in cost increases across the entire supply chain, from wafers to components, assembly, packaging, and shipping, and that the cost increases are too large for them to absorb at this time, and that they have no choice but to pass on the costs to their customers to maintain their margin model.

Despite the price hike, the business claims that demand for chips is still high – demand for endpoint ICs for UHF RFID tags exceeded shipments by more than 50% in Q3 alone. According to the company, both 200 mm and 300 mm wafers are in short supply for endpoint ICs, and the Demand will continue to outstrip supply, through 2022.

Major chip manufacturer GlobalWafers has told news outlets that the company won’t be able to meet the wafer demand until 2024. Doris Hsu, CEO, GlobalWafers said: “We have clear order visibility for 2023 and it should be okay into 2024. We do not see any signs of things slowing down in 2023 or 2024.”

This is because the worldwide expansion is moving at a snail’s pace. Over the next two years, the company plans to invest US$800 million in boosting production efficiency at its 12-inch fabs, including those in the United States, to increase production capacity. Last year, the business attempted to buy German wafer supplier Siltronic for $4.98 billion USD, but the deal fell through, and the funds will now be utilized to expand production. The firm announced in February 2022 that “the new manufacturing lines are planned to ramp up in H2 2023 and to be expanded on a quarterly basis.”

If the semiconductor and chip shortage has impacted your company or fire service’s operations, and you have found ways to overcome them, drop our editor an email on nikhil.pereira@intfireandsafetyjournal.com.