First to the blaze: Four-legged rescue robot, new low-floor truck showcased at Seoul fire academy

Home > National > Social Affairs

First to the blaze: Four-legged rescue robot, new low-floor truck showcased at Seoul fire academy

Published: 26 Feb. 2026, 19:35 Updated: 26 Feb. 2026, 19:37

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A four-legged robot walks through smoke during a demonstration at the Seoul Metropolitan Fire Academy in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, on Feb. 26. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

As smoke thickens on a subway platform, an orange-and-black, four-legged robot pads into view.

It strides confidently through the turnstiles, descends the stairs and scans the platform with its camera, searching for a person who may have collapsed. As it identifies someone lying on the ground, a warning rings out from its speaker: “This is a dangerous situation. Please evacuate to a safe place immediately.”

On Thursday, reporters viewed a rare demonstration at the Seoul Metropolitan Fire Academy in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, where the Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Headquarters showcased a four-legged robot and a newly developed low-floor fire truck.

The voice comes out as a firefighter who is standing at a safe distance and operating the machine remotely with a hand-held controller presses a button. The controller’s screen livestreams what the robot sees. Through the controller, the firefighter can broadcast evacuation warnings or speak directly to people at the scene.

Scenes like this may soon become more common in Seoul. The city is expanding its use of robots and specialized vehicles to handle fires and medical emergencies in places that are too dangerous or too confined for firefighters to enter first.

A robot that goes in first

During the demonstration, the robot navigated a smoke-filled, darkened space meant to simulate a site at risk of collapse. Using its thermal camera, it approached a person lying on the floor. When the firefighter spotted the figure on the controller screen, he spoke through the robot’s onboard radio, asking whether help was needed. Moments later, firefighters entered with a stretcher and carried the person out.

The four-legged robot, equipped with thermal imaging, LiDAR sensors and detectors that can measure eight types of gases, is designed to enter hazardous environments before human firefighters do. It can operate in darkness, heavy smoke and confined underground spaces, identifying collapsed structures, toxic gases and people in need of rescue.

The robot measures 1.1 meters (3.6 feet) in length, 56 centimeters in width and 60 centimeters in height, reaching up to 85 centimeters with its camera attached.

A four-legged robot identifies a person in need of rescue during a demonstration at the Seoul Metropolitan Fire Academy in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, on Feb. 26. [NEWS1]

By measuring combustible gases from leaks and fires, the robot can help firefighters assess the risk of explosion and determine whether an area outside the scene is safe, a spokesperson at the headquarters said. The goal, the spokesperson added, is for robots to explore high-risk zones in advance and provide information that supports on-site command decisions.

“That allows us to decide how much risk firefighters may need to take before they enter," a spokesperson said.

The robot transmits real-time video not only to the firefighter’s controller but also to a larger screen mounted on the exterior of a fire department vehicle, allowing commanders to monitor conditions from a distance.

It has not yet been deployed to an actual disaster scene, a spokesperson said, but it is ready to be dispatched at any time, particularly in large-scale incidents such as building collapses or major gas leaks.

The headquarters plans to evaluate data collected from the robot’s use and determine whether additional units should be introduced. The spokesperson also said they intend to establish standardized procedures and field protocols for how firefighting robots are deployed and operated during disasters.

A fire truck built for tight spaces

A low-floor fire truck sprays water as it enters a parking lot during a demonstration at the Seoul Metropolitan Fire Academy in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, on Feb. 26. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

An orange, squat and notably compact fire truck rolled into the parking garage.

Built for places ordinary fire trucks cannot reach, the low-floor vehicle is designed to slip into underground parking garages, where low ceilings have long posed a problem for firefighters. The truck is a redesigned version of the K351 small tactical vehicle developed by Kia. At just 2.15 meters tall, it can squeeze into spaces with height limits as low as 2.3 meters — the standard limit for an underground garage.

At the demonstration, a banner marked that threshold. The low-floor truck rolled forward and passed beneath it with room to spare. A conventional fire engine followed and stopped short, unable to clear the entrance.

According to the spokesperson, the vehicle was introduced after a fire involving an electric vehicle broke out in an underground parking garage in Cheongna, Incheon, in August 2024, when firefighters were forced to battle the blaze from outside because their engines could not enter the structure.

Despite its compact build, the truck carries up to 1,200 liters of water, the maximum capacity for a small pump truck. What sets it apart, however, is its ability to spray water while on the move.

As it drove into a mock parking structure during the demonstration, water blasted from a hose mounted at the front, soaking the concrete floor and sending reporters scrambling out of the way.

A low-floor fire truck enters a parking lot during a demonstration at the Seoul Metropolitan Fire Academy in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, on Feb. 26. [NEWS1]

A spokesperson likened the truck to a special operations unit on wheels: firefighters can ride inside, push deeper into a fire scene and spray water at the same time. The capability is made possible by separate engines — one for driving, another for the water pump. In conventional fire engines, both functions rely on the same engine, forcing responders to choose between moving and pumping water.

The low-floor trucks are currently stationed at four fire departments in Songpa, Dongdaemun, Gangbuk and Dongjak districts, areas selected for various features, such as their abundance of underground parking facilities or steep terrain. The vehicles can also be dispatched to other districts upon request.

Additionally, the fire headquarters is expanding the use of patrol robots at traditional markets. Last year, robots were deployed at two markets in Mapo and Namdaemun to monitor fire risks overnight. The spokesperson said the program will expand to four markets starting next month.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]