Meet TIGER, Hyundai's first ultimate mobility vehicle concept

Mobility

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
Hyundai has taken their ultimate mobility vehicle concepts from just an idea to closer to reality. Its latest concept, TIGER (Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot) is the first urban mobility vehicle (UMV) concept that has been unpacked further than a sketch on paper.

"Vehicles like TIGER, and the technologies underpinning it, give us an opportunity to push our imaginations," said Dr. John Suh, Head of New Horizons Studio. "We are constantly looking at ways to rethink vehicle design and development and re-define the future of transportation and mobility."

TIGER is designed to transform mobility in extreme environments that are often hostile to humans. It's based on modular platform architecture and has a features list that includes a sophisticated leg and wheel locomotion system, 360-degree directional control, and a range of sensors for remote observation. TIGER is designed to interact with unmanned arial vehicles (UAVs) to be delivered to their launching point.

TIGER Hyundai's Ultimate Mobility Vehicle Concept

TIGER Hyundai's Ultimate Mobility Vehicle Concept
  

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

The UMV has a large load bay within its body that can be used to carry goods, including aid packages, for delivery. Leg-wheel articulation makes the TIGER able to keep payload levels stable while traversing the tough terrain.

When its legs are retracted, TIGER drives like a traditional all-wheel drive vehicles. Hyundai says that the UMV's most efficient drive mode involves it moving by rolling traction. When the model encounters terrain that is impassible for it in traditional form, the legs deploy.

This first version of TIGER is called X-1. It was designed utilizing a number of partnerships with Silicon Valley-based businesses. The project is being led by Hyundai Motor Group's New Horizons Studio, while working in close partnership with Autodesk, a leading engineering design software company.

"Working closely with the team at Hyundai on the TIGER X-1 vehicle, using advanced technology such as generative design to push the boundaries of increasing strength while reducing weight in transportation, is exactly what we mean when we talk about creating the new possible," said Srinath Jonnalagadda, Vice President of Business Strategy for Design and Manufacturing at Autodesk. "New design, engineering and manufacturing techniques enabled by Autodesk Fusion 360 help today's modern, collaborative teams get to production faster and more efficiently."

TIGER : Hyundai's Uncrewed Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV) Conceptwww.youtube.com

The two companies designed a lightweight but strong structure that has legs and certain chassis elements made using carbon fiber composite additive printing.

External concept design experts Sundberg-Ferar have been working with New Horizons Studio to find a way for TIGER X-1 to deliver and retrieve critical payloads across rugged terrain.

"While developing TIGER with New Horizons Studio, the team at Sundberg-Ferar was looking to create a robot that maximized the efficiency of wheeled motion with the articulation of a quadruped to expand the possibility of reaching more remote locations," said David Byron, Manager of Design and Innovation Strategy at Sundberg-Ferar. "TIGER is a modular platform design allowing different bodies to be attached to the chassis for unique applications such as cargo delivery or surveillance in locations not suitable for humans."

Hyundai's mobility innovation is expected to continue with additional concept vehicles likely to be seen in the years ahead.

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Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

Ford subsidiary Spin bringing e-scooters that can park themselves out of the way to U.S.

Mobility

Spin, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, has announced that it will bring remotely-operated e-scooters to cities in North American and Europe in 2021. These new e-scooters have one major benefit over the older variety: they can re-park themselves out of the pathway of pedestrians.

The new Spin S-200 that will be deployed is made possible because of a partnership with software company Tortoise. The new Tortoise Spin Valet platform make sit possible to remotely operate the e-scooters by combining front and rear-facing built-in cameras. According to a release, this technology will eventually make it possible for a rider to "hail" an e-scooter several blocks to a desired pick up location rather than going to find one.

Spin e-scooters will be deployed in Boise, Idaho this spring.Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

The first S-200 will deploy in Boise, Idaho this spring. The city will receive 300 of the models, which were co-developed with Segway-Ninebot and feature a three-wheeled setup. Spin says that the three-wheel setup can better withstand different road conditions due to its enhanced suspension. There are three independent braking systems on the e-scooter (regenerative rear brake, front and rear drum brakes) and turn signals (on handlebars and near the rear wheel).

"There has been a lot of fanfare around the potential of remote-controlled e-scooters, but this partnership marks a turning point in tangible operational plans to bring them to city streets," said Ben Bear, Chief Business Officer at Spin. "In addition to providing reliability to consumers and more order to city streets, this could significantly improve unit economics, help reduce carbon emissions and the operational work required to maintain and reposition fleets."

Back to that repositioning tech. Spin describes the process in which the maneuver occurs:

"After a ride is terminated by the individual riding the e-scooter, the remote operations team may reposition the scooter (at a low-speed - max 3 mph) if the vehicle is blocking the sidewalk, crosswalk, or a handicapped space. The same repositioning can take place if the vehicle is parked at a destination where it's unlikely to get another trip. Later this year, Spin will offer in-app "scooter hailing" that allows customers to request an e-scooter in advance or in real-time. Operations staff will remotely direct any S-200 to the desired location. Eventually, battery depleted scooters will also automatically go to the nearest Spin Hub for charging."

Over the next year, Spin will explore opportunities to bring S-200 to North American and European cities that are interested in remote-controlled operations and a more robust e-scooter model.

"We are thrilled to see our software come to life with Spin," said Dmitry Shevelenko, Co-Founder and President at Tortoise. "Spin has worked tirelessly to build trust with cities around the world, and our hope is that this technology only further improves and optimizes the way cities and operators can provide transportation together."

Co-developed by Spin and Segway-Ninebot, the S-200 is equipped with the latest computer vision, machine learning, and robotics technologies, featuring an advanced visual navigation system.

"Although this is a small step for Segway's robotic technology to power Spin's new generation of shared scooters, the S-200 for the first time," said Tony Ho, Segway's Vice President of Global Business Development, "we believe this is a significant development that marks the beginning of robotic technology that may unlock the full potential of micromobility, in practical and operational use. We look forward to seeing the real impact of the technology that this pilot program will bring."

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai outlines its autonomous vehicle plans for the next decade and beyond

Self-Driving

In a statement Monday as part of a New Year's message to shareholders, employees, and the public, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung stressed the transformation of the company as mobility needs evolve, specifically singling out autonomous technologies as part of that push. The Group is the parent company of Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia.

"We will realize the safest and most innovative mobility technology in the world by strengthening our autonomous driving, connectivity and software capabilities. We will continue to invest in new growth fields such as urban air mobility and robotics to expand the realm of new mobility in the near future," said Chung.

Hyundai 'Elevate' Walking Car ConceptHyundai's New Horizon Studios recently released renderings that explore the possibilities of autonomous mobility including this 'Elevate' Walking Car Concept. Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

The Group recently made news by agreeing to acquire a controlling stake in Boston Dynamics.

The company has committed to applying Level 3 autonomous driving technology to mass production models in 2022. Further, they will push for commercialization projects for autonomous driving technologies such as robotaxi services in 2023.

There are six levels of autonomous driving according to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The base Level 0 technology provides warnings and momentary assistance like automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, and lane departure warning. Levels 3, 4, and 5 offer advanced levels of autonomy that don't require the driver to be driving all the time. This level requires drivers to drive when a Level 3 features requests it of them.

According to the Pegasus project, a cooperative working to establish the standards of autonomous driving, a Level 3 system, "recognizes its limits but is not able to establish a risk-minimal state from every initial situation. Thus, the system requests the driver to take back the driving task with an sufficient time margin. The automated vehicle handles emergency situations successfully if a human driver could handle the situation.

Late last year, Honda made news when it said that its forthcoming Honda Legend will feature Level 3 autonomous technology, becoming the first in the world to do so. Honda's parent company says that the car will be launched before the end of the current fiscal year (March 31, 2021) and feature Traffic Jam Pilot as its hallmark technology.

Motional Inc., the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, has plans to conduct Level 4 driverless tests on public roads in Nevada. In 2023, the company will work with Lyft to launch autonomous driving commercialization services in "major U.S. regions". Presumably this means cities that have been traditional autonomous vehicle testing zones like Phoenix, San Francisco, and metro Atlanta.

Hyundai Motor Group also intends to focus on next-generation software that interacts with vehicle driving assistance, map-linked navigation, and connected infotainment systems. This is a natural next step, and something that other automakers are also doing.

Additionally, the Group's Unmanned Aircraft System, a joint venture with Uber,is on track for a 2026 debut for hybrid powertrain models while a fully electrified model is due in 2028 for use in urban areas. The companies see regional air mobility products connecting adjacent cities in the 2030s.

Photo courtesy of Volkswagen AG

Volkswagen's mobile charging robot makes EV power refills an autonomous operation

Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is one of the biggest pain points for potential EV buyers. It's not just the time it takes to fuel up the car, it's where the filling station is located. Volkswagen has come up with a concept that removes some of those obstacles.

The mobile charging robot is an invention that comes out of the Volkswagen Group Components division. It is tasked with "fully autonomous charging of vehicles in restricted parking areas", which includes parking garages.

Volkswagen mobile charging robot The robot is designed to charge multiple vehicles in a row before itself needing a recharge.Photo courtesy of Volkswagen AG

"A ubiquitous charging infrastructure is, and remains, a key factor in the success of electric mobility. Our charging robot is just one of several approaches, but is undoubtedly one of the most visionary," explains Thomas Schmall, CEO of Volkswagen Group Components.

The concept isn't just a far-out vision of the future. Volkswagen hopes to implement it, alongside other charging concepts in the near future - "over the next few years".

Here's how it works. The autonomous charging robot is started via an app of Car-to-X communication. Everything from the charging socket flap to connecting the plug and decoupling it are done without human intervention. It's nearly as sophisticated an operation as the Space X Dragon capsule docking the International Space Station. Check out the video below to see it in action.

Volkswagens Mobile Charging Robot – vision becomes realitywww.youtube.com

Ideally, the robot would be able to charge several vehicles in a row before moving back to a central charging station.

"Setting up an efficient charging infrastructure for the future is a central task that challenges the entire sector," says Schmall. "We are developing solutions to help avoid costly stand-alone measures. The mobile charging robot and our flexible quick-charging station are just two of these solutions."

Volkswagen's flexible quick-charging station will be launched onto the market in early 2021. The robot has been prototyped and is now undergoing further development. Before the robot can go to market, vehicles must be able to deliver and receive Car-to-X communication.

Volkswagen isn't stopping there. "Our developments do not just focus on customers' needs and the technical prerequisites of electric vehicles, says Schmall. "They also consider the economic possibilities they offer potential partners." They enable the operators of parking structures to quickly and simply "electrify" every parking space by utilizing the mobile charging robot. This reduces any construction work needed, at the same time reducing the potential cost.

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai's New Horizons Studio pushes design limits with robotic Ultimate Mobility Vehicles

Mobility

Hyundai Motor Group, the parent company of Hyundai, has announced the formation of a new unit - New Horizons Studio. The new venture is focused on the development of what Hyundai calls Ultimate Mobility Vehicles (UMVs).

New Horizons Studio is part of Hyundai's larger focus on the future of mobility. Unit workers will work to envision vehicles that wander with "unprecedented mobility". These products will focus on target customers that have unconventional travel needs whether it be to access places they have never been or adapt their mobility limitations to their surroundings.

Hyundai 'Elevate' Walking Car Concept

Hyundai 'Elevate' Walking Car Concept
  

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

New Horizons Studio is led by Vice President Dr. John Suh, who has held several leadership roles at Hyundai Motor Group since 2011. He served as founding director of Hyundai Ventures, and then led Hyundai CRADLE (Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experiences) as its founding director based in Silicon Valley. He brings over 35 years of expertise in the automotive and emerging technology sectors, including roles at Stanford University, Palo Alto Research Center (PARC; formerly, Xerox PARC), and General Motors Company.

"We aim to create the world's first transformer-class vehicle, also known as the Ultimate Mobility Vehicle," said Dr. Suh.

Dr. Ernestine Fu will move to New Horizons Studio as Director of Product Management. She has led research on human operator and autonomous vehicle interactions at Stanford University's VolkswagenAutomotive Innovation Lab, as well as scaled emerging technology companies for over nine years as a venture capital partner at Alsop Louie Partners.

The Hyundai Elevate is the first vehicle being developed by the Studio. It debuted at CES 2019 and does not rely solely on wheels to makes it way across urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. The unit sees the Elevate as being able to respond in emergency situations like natural disasters or assist with persons who do not have access to an ADA ramp.

Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai, Rhode Island School of Design studying mobility innovations inspired by nature

Design

Hyundai Motor Group and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) have announced a new research collaboration to examine relationships among natural and built environments. The result of the partnership will be proposals for new directions for the future of mobility.

Hyundai has been showcasing long-range vision planning for the future in a number of areas in the last 18 months. The company is focusing on three mobility solutions: Urban Air Mobility (UAM), Purpose Built Vehicle (PBV) and Hub. The company recently exhibited their mobility display from CES inside their Korea headquarters (it's slated to hit the road on a tour later) and showcasing a human-centric futuristic vision for San Francisco.

Hyundai Rhode Island School of Design mobilityThe meetings started out in-person in February but quickly moved to virtual experiences.Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group

To better structure the research, Hyundai established a tesk force that includes four designers from their Design Innovation Group. RISD developed a new collaborative research platform created solely for Hyundai. According to a release, "four faculty members at the school leveraged their expertise to explore study areas supported by 16 students. Hyundai and RISD kept the participant size small, allowing for close collaboration, resulting in a distinctive study on the future of mobility."

The study examined four distinctive areas of future mobility, including graphic design, industrial design, sound design, and textile design.

  • Graphic Design – Posthuman Mobility: From Molecule to Machine
    Faculty lead: Anastasiia Raina, Graphic Design
    Responding to the evolving pandemic, this group explored the future of mobility in a microbe centric world by addressing the relationship between humans and microbes and our need to respond and adapt with agility to the new world around us. The research team developed models for collaboration with nature as an alternative to modelsinspired by nature. They focused on interspecies collaboration, cyborg nature, and designed nature, such as future mobility hubs and human identification methods utilizing augmented reality, virtual reality and machine-learning technologies.
  • Industrial Design – From Anthropocene to Aerocene through Biocene
    Faculty lead: Paolo Cardini, Industrial Design
    In response to the increasing need for sustainable options, this research group explored alternative trajectories for the future of mobility guided by artistic, scientific, and philosophical provocations. In particular, this group utilized negative speculative narratives to explore the topic of future cities and environment in the era of UAM. Scenarios such as privacy intrusion and bird strikes were considered.
  • Sound Design for Mobility
    Faculty lead: Shawn Greenlee, Experimental & Foundation Studies
    Drawing from the fields of bioacoustics and soundscape ecology, and experimentation in RISD's Spatial Audio Studio, this group worked toward developing novel auditory displays and sonic experiences with embeddable computing platforms and procedural audio techniques under a common theme of "Making the Un-heard Heard" in response to the current COVID-19 environment. For example, the group studied alternative "noise" for soundless electric vehicles.
  • Textile Design for Mobility
    Faculty lead: Anna Gitelson-Kahn, Textiles
    This research group drew from the fields of bionics and biomimicry in developing innovative textile solutions through speculative approaches and solutions gathered from a case study of the cockroach. The structure of cockroach provided insights into the safety of future mobility. Hyundai plans to further incorporate biomimicry methods into its study.

The partnership officially kicked off in February 2020 with in-person meetings. The collaborative study moved forward despite the COVID-19 pandemic with meetings and discussions held virtually.

RISD-Hyundai Research Collaborativewww.youtube.com

Hyundai and RISD will continue their partnership starting with a six-week summer research program focusing on lightweight structures and hygiene, inspired by nature. The partners plan to deepen their collaboration and form a longer-term partnership with RISD's Nature Lab providing a foundation for living systems research.

"Hyundai Motor Group's work with RISD is providing deep insights that will help us advance innovations in technology and design, paving the way for next-generation mobility solutions," said Youngcho Chi, Hyundai Motor Group's President and Chief Innovation Officer . "Through the collaboration, we've discovered that we have a similar vision for the future, and we're able to develop a common language and working methods that will provide a solid foundation for a more fruitful collaboration going forward."

"The post-COVID-19 era will require us to come up with new ways of thinking for our mobility ecosystem to evolve," said SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Global Design Center. "By conducting in-depth studies with RISD about how nature copes with change, we expect to gain fresh inspiration that can lead to the development of sustainable processes, next-generation technologies and innovative designs for the future of mobility."

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Automotive Map is moving to Your Test Driver

New website

Big news! Automotive Map has moved to a new site and has changed its name to Your Test Driver. You'll notice the same format, writing style, and content on the new site. That's because Your Test Driver is run by Chris Teague, the former editor of Automotive Map. We hope to see you there for continued coverage of news, reviews, and features from around the automotive industry.

2023 Nissan Leaf pricing announced

Updated EV

Nissan is nearing the release of the Ariya, its first new EV in several years. Even so, the brand hasn't forgotten about its first mass-market EV, the Leaf. It was an early entrant in the space, and has been an efficient, affordable, commuter car for over a decade. The car got a mild facelift for 2023, with updated wheels and exterior styling accents. Today, Nissan announced pricing for the Leaf, which starts at just under $29,000.

2023 Nissan LeafThe Leaf feels lively, despite middling power numbers.Nissan

The base Leaf comes with a 40-kWh battery capable of delivering a 149-mile range. Its 110-kW electric motor produces 147 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The Leaf SV Plus features a 60-kWh battery for a range of 212 miles. It comes with a 160-kW motor that makes 214 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. Nissan backs all Leaf models with an eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty.

ProPilot Assist comes standard for the Leaf SV Plus, and brings a full suite of advanced driver aids that include adaptive cruise control, driver alertness features, and a surround-view monitor. All Leaf models get Nissan Safety Shield 360, which includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warnings, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts, automatic high beams, and rear automatic braking.

2023 Nissan LeafThe Leaf SV Plus offers up to 212 miles of range.Nissan

The new Leaf starts at $28,895, which includes a $1,095 destination charge. The Leaf SV Plus starts at $36,895. The 2023 Nissan Leaf is on sale now, and may be eligible for federal tax credits of up to $7,500. Depending on where you live, you may also be able to receive a state tax credit or other incentives.

2022 Nissan Altima: Three things to know

Comfortable midsize sedan

The Nissan Altima may not get the attention or the praise that the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord get, but it's a solid entry in an ultra-competitive segment. It's also one of few options in its class with available all-wheel drive. We spent a week with the 2022 Nissan Altima SR Midnight Edition with AWD and came away from the experience impressed. Here are three things to know about the car.

The 2022 Nissan Altima is a Good Value

With a starting price in the mid-$20,000 range and available all-wheel drive, it's hard to complain about value here. The Altima is still reasonably priced at the top end, where it maxes out at around $35,000 before options and fees. That's a great value for a spacious, comfortable car like the Altima, and with all-wheel drive it's a great all-weather commuter.

2022 Nissan AltimaNissan offers the Altima in several configurations.Nissan

2022 Altima Interior Space and Comfort are Generous

It's easy to ignore Nissan's Zero Gravity seats as another marketing buzzword, but they are legitimately comfortable and supportive in a way that not many others are. Available leather upholstery and contrast stitching give the interior an upscale feel, but even lower trims' cloth upholstery feels nice and works well from a visual standpoint. Up front, there's room for both passengers to stretch out, and the driver won't feel cramped on leg or headroom. Back-seat passengers get a similar treatment, as there's plenty of space for adults and kids. Parents will find an easy time loading and unloading car seats as well.

2023 Nissan AltimaThe Altima gets an update for 2023 with fresh styling and more tech.Nissan

The 2023 Nissan Altima Gets an Update

Nissan is refreshing the Altima for 2023 with a facelift, new tech, and better safety features. The new car will go on sale in the fall of 2022 and will come in several trims, including one with Nissan's truck VC-Turbo engine. The Altima's most noticeable update will be its front fascia, which is all-new for 2023. Nissan gives the car a fresh grille design that varies depending on the trim, and LED headlights will be standard. Nissan Safety Shield 360 is standard, and the Altima is available with all-wheel drive, ProPilot Assist, and more.

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