"Hyundai·Kia Pave the Way for Startups to Launch Drones from Moving Cars"

2022 Open Innovation Lounge Held

Startup TargetArm is explaining the 'Drone Takeoff and Recovery System in Moving Vehicles.'

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Hyundai Motor Company and Kia announced that they held the 2022 Open Innovation Lounge at their headquarters for five days starting from the 7th, showcasing demonstrations of new technologies in collaboration with promising domestic and international startups.

Open Innovation refers to a collaborative approach where companies exchange and share new technologies with external firms, widely used across various industries and fields. Hyundai Motor Company and Kia launched this platform in 2019 to develop products and new technologies more creatively and flexibly, while quickly applying technology experiences desired by customers.

This year, 13 collaborative outcomes with startups and 150 future scenarios envisioned by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia were exhibited. After evaluations of over 200 startups domestically and internationally, a total of 13 teams were selected, including 2 from Korea and 7 from North America. Each startup participated by producing their technologies and ideas into actual vehicles or mockups on site.

A system that launches and recovers drones from moving vehicles attracted attention. It was evaluated as potentially useful for delivering goods to places inaccessible by vehicles, exploring detours when the front road is blocked, or transmitting on-site information during emergencies. There was also technology that creates holograms in the air using special glass and sensors. This technology produces holograms behind the vehicle, enabling immersive media content viewing.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia employees participating in the 2022 Open Innovation Lounge are examining the exhibited technologies.

Additionally, technologies exhibited included noise-canceling systems that recognize only the driver’s voice, artificial intelligence (AI) systems that analyze user facial expressions and gaze to recognize emotions, digital olfactory solutions capable of analyzing various smells using biosensors, and radar sensor technology that detects passengers’ heartbeats and breathing to measure biorhythms.

Other showcased innovations included eco-friendly material production technology combining resin and fibers, and AI-based 3D spatial sound implementation technology. This year, technologies from partner companies were demonstrated for the first time, such as ultra-small ultrasonic sensors, ultra-small proximity sensors, and conductive paint. The solar film applied to vehicle exteriors, introduced at last year’s event, was presented with improved development results.

Kim Je-young, Head of Product Division at Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, said, "With the know-how accumulated over the past four years, we are strengthening the preliminary product development system by newly establishing a pre-verification collaboration framework with specialized technology companies this year."

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