Taking the Lead in Autonomous Vehicles... Hyundai Motor Strengthens Robot Technology

Chairman Chung Eui-sun: "Investing 20% in Robotics for Future Business"
Accelerating Transformation into a Smart Mobility Company through Technology Partnerships

[Asia Economy Reporters Kiho Sung, Yoonju Hwang] Hyundai Motor Group's push to acquire Boston Dynamics is analyzed as part of its future strategy to become a 'smart mobility company.' Earlier, in October last year at a town hall meeting held at Hyundai Motor's Yangjae headquarters, Chairman Chung Eui-sun stated, "20% of Hyundai Motor Group's future business will be robotics," emphasizing the group's commitment to fostering its robotics business. Boston Dynamics is a robotics specialist company known for its innovative robots such as 'Spot,' a dog-like controllable robot. Through the acquisition of Boston Dynamics and other efforts, Hyundai Motor Group plans to accelerate its leadership in the future automotive market.

In particular, robotics technology is closely linked to Hyundai Motor Group's future strategy of autonomous vehicles. By integrating connected car technology with car-sharing technology, operation of robot taxis becomes possible. 'Motional,' the autonomous driving joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, plans to launch a new autonomous taxi service in the first half of next year in partnership with vehicle-sharing service providers. Additionally, robotics technology is essential for the commercialization of drone delivery robots that combine Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) technologies currently being developed by Hyundai Motor Group.

Hyundai Motor Group continues to invest in robotics-related companies. Last year, it invested in 'Realtime Robotics,' based in Boston, USA. Recently, it has also actively expanded its robotics development workforce. In 2018, it recruited hardware-related personnel, and from late 2019, it began hiring software personnel. In July, it hired experts in various fields including software architecture, conversational systems, spatial and object recognition, pose estimation, and design. Since the robotics team was established in 2017, Hyundai Motor Group's robotics development organization has grown to about 100 employees.

Ko Tae-bong, head of the Hi Investment & Securities Research Center, said, "SoftBank's decision to sell Boston Dynamics indicates concerns about commercial viability. However, Hyundai Motor Group has a natural talent for mass production, price reduction, and localization. If it embarks on mass production with a mid-to-long-term plan, there could be synergies in the business."

Meanwhile, alongside negotiations to acquire Boston Dynamics, Hyundai Motor Group has also expanded cooperation with NVIDIA, a leading company in artificial intelligence (AI) computing technology, to develop connected car systems. This is also part of the strategy to transform into a smart mobility company. Connected cars, which enhance driving convenience through not only phone and navigation but also news, weather, and real-time traffic information, are considered core technologies of future mobility alongside autonomous driving. Hyundai Motor Group plans to apply the next-generation connected car operating system using NVIDIA Drive, a high-performance information processing semiconductor, to all vehicles launched from 2022 onward.

Since 2015, Hyundai Motor has signed technology development agreements with NVIDIA and has been conducting research to apply connected car technology to mass-produced vehicles. The Genesis GV80 and G80 models released this year already feature ccOS powered by NVIDIA Drive. Through ccOS, customers will be able to always use the latest connected car services via software updates throughout the vehicle's lifecycle.

Hyundai Motor will also continue cooperation with NVIDIA to apply the 'Digital Integrated Cockpit' to future vehicles. The Digital Integrated Cockpit is a connected car information display system that integrates the infotainment system, cluster, and head-up display (HUD), and plans to implement vivid 3D graphic animations related to passenger safety and convenience during driving.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.