Hyundai Motor unveils new platform for small mobility

Hyundai Motor Group unveiled its Mobile Eccentric Droid, or MobED, a small mobility platform using cutting-edge robotics technologies, Thursday.

MobED has a flat rectangular body with four wheels that can each move independently so its body can remain stable even on slopes and bumpy roads.

One of its features is the independent suspension of the wheels, which allows them to navigate a narrow and complex urban environment.

MobED’s “Eccentric Wheel” system has three motors attached to each wheel that can provide power and precise steering to the wheels, which can rotate 360 degrees in place and move in all directions.

The eccentric mechanism-based posture control system also modifies the altitude of each wheel depending on the road conditions to stabilize the body.

MobED expands the distance between its front wheel and back wheel up to 65 centimeters to speed up, and shortens it up to 45 centimeters to travel slowly in complex environments.

The new small mobility platform is 60 centimeters wide, 67 centimeters long and 33 centimeters tall. It weighs 50 kilograms, with a battery capacity of 2 kilowatt-hours.

It can move at up to 30 kilometers per hour and travel for four hours once fully charged.

The wheels use 30-centimeter tires to absorb shock from the road effectively.

MobED is like a skateboard, which allows it to be a platform for versatile applications including delivery, guidance and filming.

Making a bigger MobED platform -- large enough to carry a person -- will improve mobility for senior citizens and the disabled, and could serve as a stroller as well, according to Hyundai Motor Group.

“We have developed the MobED platform to overcome the limitations of existing indoor guide and service robots while maximizing its usability in cities by dramatically improving the platform’s overall mobility. We are also looking ahead to assess how potential users of MobED will further expand their needs and use for this type of technology,” said Hyun Dong-jin, head of Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Lab.

Hyundai Motor Group will be exhibiting MobED at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show, which is set to open early next month in Las Vegas.

By Hong Yoo (yoohong@heraldcorp.com)