Hyundai unveiled a futuristic concept for a robotic four-legged vehicle that could go anywhere. The company calls it Elevate and carefully avoids any platypus-style Kantian dilemma by classifying the uncanny thing as a UMV, a freshly forged acronym standing for Ultimate Mobility Vehicle. By blocking their wheely extremities, the Elevate’s robotic legs can mimic the gaits of mammals and reptiles, while keeping the ability to drive like a normal car when the robotic limbs are fully retracted. In Hyundai’s vision the UMVs will help disabled people people move more freely, but they will also be useful as all-terrain rescue vehicles capable of bringing people to places where no car has been before.
Albeit promising, Hyundai’s Elevate is still a concept. The company’s engineers produced a working prototype at 1/8th scale, although that’s hardly a telltale sign that an actual UMV will be produced in the near future.
- Brand:
- Hyundai
- Year:
- 2019