Hyundai Rotem Demonstrates Multipurpose Unmanned Vehicle 'HR-Sherpa' at Armed Forces Day Event

Hyundai Rotem recently demonstrated the HR-Sherpa and wheeled armored vehicles at the 72nd Armed Forces Day celebration event.

[Photo by Hyundai Rotem]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Hyundai Rotem announced on the 28th that it demonstrated the multipurpose unmanned vehicle ‘HR-Sherpa’ at the recently held 72nd Armed Forces Day commemorative event.

At this event, two HR-Sherpa vehicles developed by Hyundai Rotem led the procession, performing security and escort duties while moving around the venue. Additionally, a wheeled armored vehicle produced by Hyundai Rotem and deployed to the military followed at the rear of the formation, providing protection.

Previously, in November last year, during the ‘2019 Korea-ASEAN Special Summit,’ Hyundai Rotem had also successfully demonstrated the HR-Sherpa’s remote and autonomous driving-based security and escort capabilities in cooperation with the Security Safety Control Group.

The HR-Sherpa is a multipurpose unmanned vehicle developed independently by Hyundai Rotem for both civilian and military use. It is smaller than a compact car and features a 6-wheel electric drive system. It boasts excellent mobility, including a 360-degree on-the-spot rotation function, and uses airless tires advantageous for rough terrain driving, eliminating the risk of punctures and offering superior durability.

Equipped with a Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS) manufactured by Hyundai Wia, it enables long-distance reconnaissance and can perform missions such as transporting supplies and patients, fire support, and hazardous material detection. Furthermore, it features outstanding unmanned driving capabilities, including remote driving, dependent driving that automatically follows personnel ahead of the vehicle, and autonomous driving that independently explores and patrols designated routes.

The wheeled armored vehicle demonstrated alongside the HR-Sherpa is a vehicle Hyundai Rotem has been supplying to the military since winning the initial production contract in early 2016 and the second production contract in 2017. The vehicle is currently being sequentially deployed. Hyundai Rotem also secured the system development project for the wheeled command post vehicle, a variant of the wheeled armored vehicle, in 2016, and plans to pursue mass production contracts once system development is completed this year.

Hyundai Rotem plans to continue research and development of unmanned systems, including the HR-Sherpa, to secure sustainable growth engines in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to develop and target the global market. To this end, in November last year, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KT for ‘collaboration on the development and business of 5G-based autonomous vehicles and control platforms.’ In December of the same year, a high-precision laser scanner was attached to the HR-Sherpa for pilot operation in construction site surveying, confirming its utility in the civilian construction sector. Additionally, from May to June this year, the Army Training Command conducted combat tests of the HR-Sherpa’s lead reconnaissance and supply transport capabilities.

A Hyundai Rotem official stated, “As a result of various research, development, and testing evaluations that strengthened the quality and reliability of the HR-Sherpa, we were able to successfully demonstrate security and escort missions at this Armed Forces Day event. Along with new businesses such as hydrogen fuel cell trains and hydrogen charging infrastructure, we will steadily develop competitiveness in the unmanned systems sector and foster it as a future growth engine.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.