"Let's Create Future Mobility Together"... Hyundai Motor Group Holds First HMG Developer Conference

Participation of SW Developers Needed in Future Mobility Projects Requiring Advanced Technology Integration like Autonomous Driving and Robotics

Hyun Dong-jin, Executive Director of Robotics Lab, Predicts 'Robot Intelligence Society'

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Hyundai Motor Group held the ‘HMG Developer Conference’ online on the 10th and 11th, actively engaging in communication with external developers. The fact that Hyundai Motor Group hosted a developer conference, which has mainly been organized by IT companies, for the first time is interpreted as a strategy to share technologies possessed by internal and external developers, lead the rapidly changing automotive industry, and accelerate future mobility plans.

Albert Biermann, President of Hyundai Motor Group’s Research and Development Division, emphasized in the opening of the HMG Conference held under the theme ‘Journey to Smart Mobility Solutions’ that "software development is becoming increasingly important and is a key factor in creating a better life," adding, "For a better future, Hyundai Motor Group needs more talents who can create social value together."

Future mobility prepared by Hyundai Motor Group, including electrification, hydrogen, connectivity, autonomous driving, robotics, infotainment, and Urban Air Mobility (UAM), requires the convergence of various advanced technologies. This implies that not only Hyundai Motor Group’s internal projects but also active participation from external software developers is necessary.

Albert Biermann President, Head of Research and Development Division, Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai Motor Group established the autonomous driving company Motional last year, acquired robotics specialist Boston Dynamics, and recently set up the independent UAM corporation Supernal in the United States. The group is also actively pursuing carbon neutrality fields such as a hydrogen society and battery electric vehicles by 2045. Hyundai Motor Group plans to start a fully unmanned autonomous driving service with the Ioniq 5-based robotaxi in 2023 and launch unmanned UAM connecting cities after 2030. Boston Dynamics, which showcased quadruped and humanoid robots, is also expected to commercialize the logistics robot Stretch next year.

In addition to President Biermann, key executives responsible for the group’s future mobility participated in the lectures to explain future visions such as sustainability, carbon neutrality, intelligent vehicles, and connectivity. Kyo-woong Chu, Executive Vice President in charge of electronics at the Research and Development Division, shared development achievements including the dedicated electric vehicle platform E-GMP, hydrogen electric truck Xcient, Ioniq 5 robotaxi with Level 4 autonomous driving, and the wearable robot VEX for overhead work, emphasizing, "We respect the value of developers leading the flow of change more than anyone else," encouraging further participation.

Dong-jin Hyun, Executive Director of the Robotics Lab and a robotics PhD who led the development of wearable robots VEX and CEX, as well as the service robot DAL-e, also presented, explaining the necessity of robotics technology and key ongoing projects such as joint robots, service robots, robotics mobility, and user experience (UX) technology, forecasting a ‘robot intelligence society.’

A special lecture was also held by Daniela Rus, AI advisory professor at Hyundai Motor and Director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Professor Han Song, who conducts AI industry-academic joint research related to autonomous driving.

On the second day, the 11th, lectures by Chang-hyun Song, President of the Taas Division and IT/software expert, and Young-jo Ji, Executive Vice President in charge of Innovation, will also be held.

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