Hyundai Elevate - The walking car!
The walking car? Yes, the car that can walk & climb! Hyundai has revealed its concept car, Hyundai Elevate in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 at Las Vegas. This four-legged vehicle concept is a combination of an electric vehicle with robotic legs. These robotic legs can be used for extended mobility like climbing terrains, moving on rough roads, etc.
Elevate is designed with four robotic legs with wheels for feet which can roll, extend, or retract. This concept, therefore, makes it capable of extraordinary duties. This enables the vehicle to climb any terrain, fording rivers, rough roads, strewn landscapes, forests, snow, etc. This vehicle can be faster, efficient, and resilient than off-road vehicles.
The design relies on Hyundai's actuator technology. This technology grants the robotic arm, 6 degrees of freedom, which means 6 independent types of movement. They are vertical hip, horizontal hip, knee, ankle, steering, and wheel. Each wheel is powered by a hub propulsion motor that enables these movements. Supported by the integrated passive suspension system, the car can take high speeds on highways. On walking, the Elevate can move at a speed of 5 km/hour.
Here are some of the interesting features of the vehicle:
- Robotic legs with 6 aspects of motion
- Ability to extend its arm, enabling it to walk like a mammal or reptile
- Ability to climb a wall up to five feet
- Step over a five-feet gap
- Non-back drivable motors that lock the leg at any position.
- The modular electric vehicle platform for different applications
- 15-foot wide track width
Why a car that walks? How can it help us?
People with disabilities generally do not have access to ramp everywhere. The body atop the wheel can be swapped for different applications. The taxi concept of this car is one of them. This can be used to climb the entrance step of a building, allowing the wheelchair users to roll in and out easily. The legs can be folded and stowed away for the normal driving mode. All of this can be done by keeping the body in level with the ground.
When the terrain becomes impassable, this car can use its legs to move in any direction. This can be used in the areas hit by earthquakes, floods, or any natural calamity. This car can become the first responders to access the affected place. The car can move over a crumbled concrete and even debris in the flood. Hyundai Elevate can be used as a search and rescue vehicle in the disaster-hit areas.
This car also can be used as an ambulance that can be driven to inaccessible areas. Whether it be a 5 feet wall or a 5 feet ditch, this vehicle can be driven by keeping its body leveled with the ground. Therefore a perfect utility vehicle as an ambulance.
Suppose if a road is hit by an avalanche. One has to clear the snow to make the road open to traffic but this car can walk or climb back the road. This concept can find huge applications in the areas covered by snow throughout the year.
Hyundai Elevate can be used extensively in emergency services. This innovative idea has thus created itself a new vehicle category '' Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV)''. A blend of an electric car with robotics makes it capable to move on rough terrain that even off-road vehicles cannot.
The technology and it's modular platform makes it an '' Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV)''.Be it, the last-mile mobility, or extended mobility, Hyundai has always one step ahead. Being the vehicle of its kind, Hyundai Elevate can be the future of vehicular mobility. What do you think? Let me know from the comments below!