When the turret of a self-propelled howitzer rotates, it poses a significant risk to the driver exposed at the front. The Republic of Korea Armed Forces has implemented safety devices to mitigate this danger and protect the driver in major self-propel...
When the turret of a self-propelled howitzer rotates, it poses a significant risk to the driver exposed at the front. The Republic of Korea Armed Forces has implemented safety devices to mitigate this danger and protect the driver in major self-propelled howitzers. In the case of the K55A1 self-propelled howitzer, when the turret operates within the driver's danger zone, a specification indicator provides a visual warning, while the driver perceives the risk through an auditory warning transmitted via their helmet. An analysis of the currently applied safety devices reveals certain limitations. Visually, a warning window is displayed on the mission control system for the internal crew, but there is no dedicated warning display inside the driver's compartment. Auditorily, the warning sounds are transmitted through the crew's helmets, but the driver cannot hear the warning sound if the helmet is disconnected or malfunctions. This study focused on the K55A1 self-propelled howitzer and explored the development and trial application of additional auxiliary safety devices to complement the existing driver safety system. These findings are expected to serve as a reference for future technological modifications related to safety improvements.