Hyundai has made a four-wheeled robot that is designed to carry anything from parcels to people, called MobED. It is the first time the Korean company is venturing into the world of smaller mobility solutions.
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The MobED is the size of most workshop or warehouse dollies at 67cm long and 60cm wide, with 30cm tires that call be controlled independently with electric motors on each axel. It includes a complicated suspension system which allows its central platform to be tilted in any direction, used to keep anything carried on MobED to remain level at all times, even when driving up or down a ramp.
Hyundai is calling the device a “mobility platform,” and suggests it wants to sell MobED to industrial partners who will then adapt it for specific use cases. It hasn’t announced pricing yet, but Hyundai is obviously envisioning a wide variety of uses for its quirky new product.
“MobED can be used as a mobility device for the elderly or the disabled when the platform is sufficiently increased for people to mount it,” said the company in a press release. “It can also be used as a stroller or leisure vehicle.”
The four-wheeled robot has a top speed of 30kph and can drive for four hours on a single charge. Hyundai hasn’t yet explained how it navigates its world – does it have preset settings or is it a type of autonomous vehicle?
It is interesting that several car manufacturers are exploring this area of mobility and robotics, including Toyota and Honda. As self-driving technology develops, many car manufacturers are seeing new areas to apply this newly acquired expertise. MobED is just the latest example of this trend, which is sure to continue and expand in the years to come.
