"Fire scenes too dangerous for people? Firefighting drones handle them with ease" A look at domestic drone technology

[Financial News]#. Police received a report of a missing person and launched a search. The search was not carried out by people, but by a drone designed to find missing persons. The drone sweeps through areas that are difficult for people to inspect and searches every corner. Behind these drones are specialized police officers who operate them. Drone searches are conducted nationwide and help locate missing people.This is how drones for missing-person searches, which were fully introduced to the police in 2020, are being used. The drones were developed through a public-demand drone technology project by the Unmanned Vehicle Future Leading Technology Development Project Group, the predecessor of the Unmanned Vehicle Core Technology Development Project Group under the Ministry of Science and ICT. It is a representative case of the project group's drone technology being applied in the field.
More recently, drones are being developed to enter fire scenes that are difficult for people to access and minimize damage. This drone technology is also expected to be applied in the field.


At the 2026 Unmanned Vehicle X Civil-Military Cooperation Expo (UWC X CIMEX 2026), held from the 25th to the 27th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, domestically developed drone technologies that make everyday life safer and more convenient were on display.
First, the firefighting and disaster-response drones being developed by the project group featured major prototypes, including an indoor search drone for fire scenes and a quadruped robot.
The indoor search drone was designed to operate inside hot fire scenes and withstand ambient temperatures of 80 degrees Celsius and radiant heat of 200 degrees Celsius. It can also function in 100% humidity, allowing it to work in the wet conditions created by firefighting efforts. In particular, it is equipped with an internal cooling system that uses refrigerant circulation. The system prevents the drone from overheating during flight.


It works in cooperation with a quadruped robot. The robot also moves around inside fire scenes, detects damage, and locates victims. The fire conditions it observes can be monitored through a ground control system.
A project group official said, "We developed technology that can withstand heat and humidity so drones and robots can operate at fire scenes," adding, "We began development last year and plan to hold a demonstration at a fire academy next year." The hope is that, once the demonstration begins next year and development is completed later, the technology could eventually be introduced to fire scenes, just like the missing-person search drones already in use by the police.




In addition to these, a wide range of domestic drone parts and finished products were also on display, drawing attention.
The K-Drone Global Special Pavilion brought together a broad lineup of domestic drone products. From the start of the exhibition, visitors from Korea and abroad showed interest and asked questions about the exhibits.
The most eye-catching items were the small drones from PRENEU, a domestic drone manufacturer. PRENEU is a drone solutions company with AI autonomous flight and proprietary drone design and manufacturing technology. It showcased a small reconnaissance-strike hybrid drone and a commercial drone for training. It also drew attention with finished products that can be fitted with speakers or sensors as needed.
Larger drones also appeared at the venue. LIG Defense & Aerospace exhibited everything from a small reconnaissance-strike hybrid drone to a hybrid transport drone with a payload capacity of 40 kilograms. In the development hall for multipurpose tandem-type medium-class unmanned rotary-wing platform technology, a large drone was also on display. Its massive size captivated visitors, as it can lift heavy objects.
Meanwhile, domestic drone parts companies showcased a variety of components, from batteries to drone wings and motors. Notable items included parts made of nylon and glass fiber, as well as a waterborne electric propulsion system with a maximum output of 4 horsepower. Various batteries for drones were also presented, underscoring the strength of domestic technology.
Demand for these domestic drone technologies is expected to grow further. An industry official said, "The police also recognize the need to build a '112 regional center' system that would allow drone detection and reporting to be handled in one stop when incidents or accidents occur," adding, "Demand for drone use is likely to increase even more in various fields beyond policing."
[email protected] Yeon Ji-an Reporter