The project was developed for three years and cost HRK 18 million (€2.4m).
The founder and owner of DOK-ING, innovator Vjekoslav Majetić, said at the presentation that it is a world unique product and that the vehicle has already received the support of users.
"During development, we changed the characteristics of the machine and adapted it to the needs of future users," said Majetić.
He pointed out that there is already great interest on the world market, and that the price of the robotic vehicle has not yet been established. To develop the entire project to the current level, he said, HRK 18 million was spent, of which HRK 9 million (€1.2m) came from EU funds.
The vehicle is intended for the police and the army. Its main purpose is to operate in closed spaces, and it has strong ballistic protection on the front. It can work in daytime conditions as well as in conditions of reduced visibility. It is equipped with several cameras - infrared and thermal, so it can operate at night. When using the machine, the special forces have maximum security.
The use of Hystrix reduces the time of the intervention because the perpetrators can be located and reached in a short period of time, and it also serves to extract the wounded. The advantage of Hystrix is that it has complete special equipment crisis resolution. It has built-in gas sensors, so it can detect propane and butane and can operate even in conditions of attack by toxic agents.
Since it is an electric vehicle, its work autonomy is around eight hours, but it can also be powered by electricity in the field.
Defence Minister Mario Banožić pointed out that the Hystrix project is proof of how much the DOK-ING company participates in research and development of machines for the purposes of the military industry, but also how much it contributes to the safety of citizens, all those who live in the EU and outside the Union. According to him, DOK-ING is one of the flagships of the domestic defence industry, which, in addition to production itself, also participates in the development of defence products.
"Their truly innovative solutions contribute to all the tasks we have, and they also contribute to other components of homeland security," said Banožić.
He is confident that vehicles like the Hystrix will find their place on the market, and the Ministry of Defence will support them.