“Vehicles like TIGER, and the technologies underpinning it, give us an opportunity to push our imaginations,” said Dr. John Suh, Head of New Horizons Studio. “We are constantly looking at ways to rethink vehicle design and development and re-define the future of transportation and mobility.”
TIGER is designed to transform mobility in extreme environments that are often hostile to humans. It’s based on modular platform architecture and has a features list that includes a sophisticated leg and wheel locomotion system, 360-degree directional control, and a range of sensors for remote observation. TIGER is designed to interact with unmanned arial vehicles (UAVs) to be delivered to their launching point.
When its legs are retracted, TIGER drives like a traditional all-wheel drive vehicles. Hyundai says that the UMV’s most efficient drive mode involves it moving by rolling traction. When the model encounters terrain that is impassible for it in traditional form, the legs deploy.
This first version of TIGER is called X-1. It was designed utilizing a number of partnerships with Silicon Valley-based businesses. The project is being led by Hyundai Motor Group’s New Horizons Studio, while working in close partnership with Autodesk, a leading engineering design software company.
“Working closely with the team at Hyundai on the TIGER X-1 vehicle, using advanced technology such as generative design to push the boundaries of increasing strength while reducing weight in transportation, is exactly what we mean when we talk about creating the new possible,” said Srinath Jonnalagadda, Vice President of Business Strategy for Design and Manufacturing at Autodesk. “New design, engineering and manufacturing techniques enabled by Autodesk Fusion 360 help today’s modern, collaborative teams get to production faster and more efficiently.”
TIGER : Hyundai’s Uncrewed Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV) Concept
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The two companies designed a lightweight but strong structure that has legs and certain chassis elements made using carbon fiber composite additive printing.
External concept design experts Sundberg-Ferar have been working with New Horizons Studio to find a way for TIGER X-1 to deliver and retrieve critical payloads across rugged terrain.
“While developing TIGER with New Horizons Studio, the team at Sundberg-Ferar was looking to create a robot that maximized the efficiency of wheeled motion with the articulation of a quadruped to expand the possibility of reaching more remote locations,” said David Byron, Manager of Design and Innovation Strategy at Sundberg-Ferar. “TIGER is a modular platform design allowing different bodies to be attached to the chassis for unique applications such as cargo delivery or surveillance in locations not suitable for humans.”
Hyundai’s mobility innovation is expected to continue with additional concept vehicles likely to be seen in the years ahead.
