The Hyundai Motor Group and its subsidiary Boston Dynamics are showing a new platform for flexible robot modules at CES.
The Hyundai Motor Group and its subsidiary Boston Dynamics are showing at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas how robot technology can accompany everyday life in the future.
The modular Plug & Drive platform (PnD) was presented as the technical basis for the new mobility solutions. The electric drive, steering and suspension have been compactly combined directly on the wheel. This allows vehicles to be turned on the spot, for example. The mobility concept based on the PnD platform, for example, provides for small cabins that are 125 cm long, 133 cm wide and almost 189 cm high. Each cabin accommodates one person. The small vehicle can be maneuvered with a joystick on the side of the seat.
More mobility with robot cabins
For example, your own workplace can be steered into a large collective vehicle, in which other cabins with colleagues or conference participants can also come with their own cabins. In addition to the reorganization of working environments, the system can also be designed as a solution for local public transport or for transporting goods. Swarming cabs then deliver packages to households down a street while the larger van waits. The drive system close to the wheel allows any scalability of the platform, provided there is enough space for the battery.
"We direct our robotics and creative endeavors towards building the unlimited ecosystem of mobility of things," explains Dong Jin Hyun, Vice President and Head of Robotics Laboratory at Hyundai Motor Group. "Our goal is for robotics to enable all types of personal mobility, connected to communicate, move and perform tasks autonomously."
The new robot platform should not only offer advantages in public. Thanks to the integrated drive, production systems can also be designed flexibly. In a factory, a robot can drive to a workstation if necessary to help with assembly.
Conclusion
At the CES, the Hyundai Motor Group and Boston Dynamics are showing a new drive platform for mobile robots. This should not only make it possible to redesign the mobility of the future.
