Hyundai Motor Unveils Innovative Plug & Drive Robotic Module to Enable Unlimited Mobility of Things at CES 2022

• New Mobility of Things (MoT) concept to enable the movement of traditionally inanimate objects through the company’s robotics technology
• Plug & Drive (PnD) and Drive & Lift (DnL) modules to provide all-in-one mobility solutions as parts of an unlimited MoT ecosystem
• PnD module to provide mobility to everything from small objects to community spaces with infinite flexibility and scalability
• DnL module with an eccentric wheel mechanism to extend the operation of robots to both indoor and outdoor locations
• Diverse applications of the newly unveiled PnD and DnL modules, such as the recently revealed Mobile Eccentric Droid (MobED), to be on display at the Hyundai Motor booth along with Boston Dynamics’ Spot^® and Atlas^TM

LAS VEGAS and SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Hyundai Motor Company today revealed its Plug & Drive (PnD) modular platform that enables mobility of traditionally inanimate things, from small objects to large community spaces, at CES 2022.

At the event, the leaders of Hyundai Motor and Boston Dynamics presented a shared vision for robotics in both the real world and metaverse under the main theme of ‘Expanding Human Reach’. Hyundai Motor also revealed its plans for creating an advanced mobility experience with an unlimited Mobility of Things (MoT) ecosystem, and showcased a range of robots and robotic concepts.

“We are directing all our robotics engineering and creative efforts toward building the unlimited Mobility of Things ecosystem,” said Dong Jin Hyun, Vice President and Head of Robotics Lab of Hyundai Motor Group. “The goal is for robotics to enable all kinds of personal mobility, connected to communicate, move and perform tasks autonomously.”

The PnD modular platform is an all-in-one mobility solution that combines intelligent steering, braking, in-wheel electric drive and suspension hardware. The single wheel unit uses a steering actuator for infinite wheel rotation, meaning it can turn 360 degrees, which enables holonomic movement, like a figure skater. LiDAR and camera sensors allow a PnD-enabled object to move autonomously.

Also at CES 2022, Hyundai exhibited the MobED (Mobile Eccentric Droid) small mobility platform with the Drive & Lift (DnL) module, an all-in-one robotics solution based on an eccentric wheel mechanism that combines the drive, steering and braking systems into one structure.