Hyundai Making A Car That Walks?
Take a look at the otherworldly walking car that Hyundai has in the works.
What walks and has four legs? Apparently, Hyundai’s new walking car. The automotive company has been relentlessly working on unique models for this concept called UMVs. UMVs, which stands for Universal Mobility Vehicles, is Hyundai’s innovative automobile likened to a sci-fi machine. The car company has invested ample funds in making these concepts into a real-life creation. Take a look at the concept rendering below.
Hyundai’s walking car will be built in a manufacturing plant in Bozeman, Montana. Operating out of the Montana State University, the center will cost around $20 million to create. The center, also known as the Hyundai New Horizon Studio, will be where mechanics start to assemble the models for further inspection.
Montana might seem like a strange place to create the Hyundai walking car. But, the western state has accumulated many tech companies and manufacturing plants over the last decade. Bozeman, specifically, has become a hub for tech and automobile companies to congregate due to its adjacency to off-roading terrain and mountains. With a Hyundai walking car that’s intended to traverse challenging topography, Bozeman is the perfect place to start its production. John Suh, leader of the New Horizons Studio, stated that there is a “growing talent pool” of engineers in Montana, making the state a new destination for the tech industry.
Not much is known about when this center will be completed or when Hyundai walking cars will start manufacturing, but the plans are already underway. The center that will construct these vehicles will be 15,000 square feet, enough room to build this massive machine. Once finished, the center will employ up to 50 engineers to start working on the Universal Mobility Vehicles. Hyundai is expected to get its center in order by June of this year, hopefully beginning the UMV construction shortly after.
Hyundai has been developing the UMV concept for years, unveiling the prototype in 2021. Known as the Tiger X-1, Hyundai’s walking car has a pod-like exterior with four legs that are each equipped with a sturdy wheel. The vehicle would be able to hold passengers as it roams rugged terrain. Though this UMV would be tested on earth, the Tiger X-1 will most likely be used for space exploration in the future. Hyundai officials have stated that the UMVs would hopefully be deployed to the moon and other planets in an effort to collect data.
A Hyundai walking car could also have many beneficial outcomes for people on earth. A UMV could be used to deploy medicine or bring groceries to people who wouldn’t be able to do those tasks autonomously. The vehicle could also be utilized during natural disasters, where the robot could traverse debris on rugged terrain to deliver necessary goods to survivors. On top of its terrestrial abilities, the UMV would also come with aerial skills. The flying car could deploy a drone to finish its tasks like making remote deliveries.
Though a Hyundai walking car hasn’t been created yet, this wild invention is on the horizon. As the Montana center gets set up, many expect more announcements regarding the vehicle’s completion and its numerous abilities.
