Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| Hyundai Motor Group unveiled its future mobility robot TIGER on its official YouTube channel, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group |
By Kim Hyun-bin
Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled a future innovative robot that fuses mobility and robotics technologies.
The intelligent mobility robot dubbed "TIGER" was unveiled through the company's official YouTube channel, Wednesday.
TIGER stands for Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot.
Hyundai's mobility department, New Horizons Studio, was in charge of developing TIGER under a partnership with U.S. engineering design software firm Autodesk.
TIGER has a structure similar to Hyundai Motor's "Elevate" walking car concept that was unveiled at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The TIGER is 80 centimeters long, 40 centimeters wide and weighs 12 kilograms. It has four legs with extendable wheels that make it capable of moving in any direction over complex terrain.
The first TIGER is the concept model X-1, with X denoting its experimental status.
The robot could be used for scientific exploration and research purposes, transporting emergency medical supplies or engaging in multipurpose assignments in terrain difficult for ordinary vehicles to access. TIGER is also capable of moving sideways and can easily change direction when needed.
It also contains a protected storage area and its four legs can maintain a horizontal stance at all times to safely transport supplies in rough and irregular terrain.
"Vehicles like TIGER, and the technology embedded in them, give us a chance to further push our imagination. We are constantly contemplating ways to enhance vehicle design and development and redefine the future of transportation and mobility," said John Suh, head of New Horizons Studio.
Last year, New Horizons Studio started developing vehicles that are capable of off-road travel.
Hyundai says TIGER could be used to explore the moon or other planets. On Earth, TIGER could be utilized to deliver products, medicine and food to areas affected by natural disasters or places that difficult to access.
