Hyundai stunned everyone when it unveiled its bizarre walking robo-car, the'Elevate. Do you remember her? A vehicle with four wheels mounted on as many articulated legs, with the ability to roll, climb, walk like a mammal (or a spider) on all possible terrains.
We all thought it was a mere marketing operation, until Hyundai announced the creation of a new division, New Horizon Studios, focused on the production of real Transformers vehicles. “Crossovers” between various sectors: robotics, aeronautics, automotive and AI. New Horizons today provided details on its next project. It is called TIGER, or “Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot”, which takes advantage of the Elevate platform and repurposes it for remote or autonomous missions.
Transformers, but seriously
TIGER adapts Elevate's chassis for unmanned missions, with a lightweight, carbon composite structure designed to be 3D printed. The second of the transformers designed by Hyundai maintains the four wheels on robotic "legs", each of which offers six degrees of freedom of movement. It's a vehicle that basically has a hip, a knee and an ankle. A complete locomotion system, with a suite of sensors and an on-board computer acting as the "brain".
In place of the cockpit, a platform that can accommodate different modules. This "thing with legs" can travel with a cargo module, a rescue module or even a "bust" equipped with robotic arms.
Tiger, self-propelled and scalable vehicles
Hyundai can build these TIGER transformers of virtually any size. They can fulfill a mission plan or an indefinite cargo goal. It can clip them to an eVTOL drone that transports them to the safe landing site closest to where they are needed, and they can walk (yes, walk) on virtually any terrain. And it is no coincidence that Hyundai has also launched a division for urban air mobility.
In other words, TIGER is a means of getting things from A to B, whatever they are and whatever the terrain. Where will it be used? This is a question that is only answered in the imagination, and I believe this amazing walking robotic machine will find its place.
