Hankook Tire equips Hyundai Rotem's firefighting robot with airless tires

Hankook Tire & Technology said Tuesday it is supplying its airless "i-Flex" tires for a new unmanned firefighting robot built with Hyundai Rotem to battle high-risk blazes in underground parking garages.

The robot is built on Hyundai Rotem's HR-Sherpa, the company's first domestically developed multipurpose unmanned vehicle, and is equipped with a 65-millimeter high-performance water cannon, a camera for improved visibility, a self-spraying system and remote-control functions.

Hankook Tire and Hyundai Rotem spent about five years jointly developing the tire, which uses a double-arch structure designed to support heavy loads and disperse compressive force evenly, the company said.

An outer arch absorbs shocks from uneven, off-road terrain, while an inner arch reduces vibration transmitted to the vehicle's drivetrain, with a hinge structure connecting the two.

Because the tire is airless, it requires no air-pressure maintenance and eliminates the risk of punctures or air loss, the company said.

Robots equipped with the tire have already been deployed at disaster sites, including a factory ...