Automotive manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company showcased the role of robotics, VR and the metaverse in future mobility solutions with its new ‘Metamobility’ concept at CES 2022.
Hyundai Motor Company sees a “metamobility” future in which a variety of robotic devices interact with humans to provide a wide range of mobility services, ranging from automated individual transportation to remote control of robots in “smart” factories.
In a media briefing at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Hyundai executives, led by Chief Executive Euisun Chung, elaborated on that ambition.
Hyundai plans to use its developing experience in robotics and artificial intelligence to develop a future mobility network that connects real-world humans with virtual elements and operations.
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The idea is similar to the metaverse, a term invented by author Neal Stephenson 30 years ago that has lately picked up steam after Facebook rebranded to Meta Platforms Inc. It relates to shared virtual world environments that individuals may access through the internet and utilize virtual reality or augmented reality to interact with.
Hyundai provided multiple cases of how the metaverse and the real world could be linked:
– A vehicle with a 3D video game platform that can be converted into a work space or an entertainment room.
– A “smart” factory in which robots that interact with machinery and goods inside the plant are controlled remotely by humans from outside the facility.
– Automated personal transportation systems for those with disability or those who prefer to keep social distances while travelling.
To make all of this possible, the automaker announced that it is developing a Mobility of Things infrastructure that would connect modular robotic platforms to provide various mobility services.
A single-wheel robotics platform called Plug & Drive, or PnD, combines intelligent steering, braking, and suspension with in-wheel electric drive, cameras, and lidar sensors for automatic operation.
