Automakers aren’t just competing in the electric vehicle arena, some are duking it out to develop a “mobility solution” on the moon. Hyundai and Kia just announced plans to do the same — but different.
For many, a mobility solution is some form of electrified vehicle whether it’s a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or scooter. In the last two years, automakers like General Motors, Toyota and others are in the process of development lunar vehicles.
Hyundai and Kia announced Wednesday they’ve signed joint research agreements with six South Korean research institutes to develop mobility solutions to explore the moon. However, if the pictures are any indication, their “solutions” won’t have wheels.
The automakers could begin working with the groups as early as next month.
“We have taken the first step towards transforming our vision for robotics and the concept of Metamobility into reality,” said Yong Wha Kim, executive vice president, and Head of R&D Planning & Coordination Center of Hyundai Motor and Kia.
“We will expand the scope of human movement experience beyond traditional means of transport and beyond the bounds of Earth to further contribute to the progress of humankind and help create a better future.”
Man on the moon
If not finding a way for South Korean — and perhaps those from other countries in the future — astronauts to drive across the moon’s surface, what are the automakers working on? Exploration equipment, software for mobility operation and remote communication functionality.
The companies, particularly Hyundai, have been working with a variety of different electric mobility technologies, ranging from air taxis to walking search and rescue vehicles and other transformer-style vehicles. The last few items coming from its Elevate concepts introduced in September 2020.
Most of these ideas stem from the company’s New Horizons Studio and Hyundai CRADLE, its Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experiences. The company’s push into these areas comes from its commitment to robotics.
In December 2020, Hyundai Motor Group acquired a controlling interest in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank Group Corp. Hyundai holds an 80% stake in the company after the $1.1 billion deal was completed.
“The synergies created by our union offer exciting new pathways for our companies to realize our goal – providing free and safe movement and higher plane of life experiences for humanity,” said Euisun Chung, Hyundai’s chairman, in a statement.
It is Chung’s first acquisition since taking on Hyundai Motor Group’s top office in October, although his ambitions in the field of robotics is well known. He has already said that he expects robotics to account for 20% of Hyundai’s future business, with urban air mobility accounting for 30%, and traditional auto manufacturing at 50 percent.
The South Korean automaker plans to use Boston Dynamics’ experience with small, wheeled robots, dog-like robots and even a two-legged robot named Atlas that can jump and do somersaults, to grow into the humanoid robot market, which could be critical in lunar exploration.
Conversely, the environmental difficulties the lunar surface presents could provide invaluable insight into the company’s automotive development efforts, especially when it comes to autonomous vehicles.
Next steps
Hyundai and Kia have formed an internal consultative body with key personnel for the development and operation of lunar surface mobility. Resources will be brought to bear from Hyundai and Kia’s Robotics Lab in charge of robot development.
Hyundai and Kia will also collaborate on software and hardware design and interpretation, space environment response technology, and special equipment for conducting lunar exploration missions.
The multilateral agreement to develop mobility for exploring the moon’s surface represents a seminal moment in the history of Hyundai Motor and Kia that expands their vision for future mobility, including Robotics and AAM, to areas beyond the Earth.
The two auto brands also expect to secure proprietary technologies for future mobility businesses in the process of the new lunar exploration mobility robotics development.
