Curved Path Driving Robot and Safety Inspection Robot... A Preview of Hyundai Motor Factory

Hyundai Motor Group, Smart Factory Technology Exhibition
E-Forest Tech Day, First External Reveal

Automated logistics robots used to move parts within factories generally move only forward and backward. To enable movement along various routes, more complex control is required. Hyundai Motor Group's logistics robots, embedded with control and monitoring software algorithms, can move not only forward and backward but in all directions. By controlling the rotation speed of the left and right wheels, they achieve smooth curved driving even while carrying heavy loads.

Automation technology that recognizes irregular parts such as hoses and wires using artificial intelligence (AI) vision algorithms can also be seen in Hyundai Motor Group factories. Assembly robots used in factories mainly handle heavy and fixed-shaped parts. The newly introduced assembly automation technology recognizes irregular parts, automatically calculates the fixing points, and issues control commands. This technology is considered essential when humanoid robots are fully introduced into factories in the future.

A logistics robot carrying goods is moving while recognizing other robots nearby. Using sensors such as LiDAR to observe surrounding objects, it can navigate not only forward and backward but also along curved paths.
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

Hyundai Motor Group announced that it will hold the new technology exhibition E-Forest Tech Day 2024 for three days starting on the 22nd at the Hyundai Motor and Kia Uiwang Research Center to share innovative manufacturing technologies used in finished vehicle factories. E-Forest is Hyundai Motor and Kia's smart factory brand. Now in its fifth year, the event is an opportunity for Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Manufacturing Solutions Headquarters and partner companies to share the results of their research and development (R&D) efforts to implement software-defined factories (SDF). Hyundai Motor publicly disclosed the event to the media for the first time this year.

The exhibition was divided into four themed halls, including SDF, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), robotics, and startups. A total of over 200 technologies were exhibited. Group companies such as Hyundai Mobis, Rotem, Wia, AutoEver, Glovis, and Transys showcased 28 technologies, while startups exhibited 5 technologies.

An automatic robot is attaching a hose, an unstructured part, to the engine. Unstructured parts are difficult for robots to handle, so this process has mainly been done manually by humans until now.
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

The company explained, "Once the SDF is established, manufacturing intelligence will be enhanced and flexibility secured, enabling decision-making and factory operations based on data and software. We expect benefits such as shortening production preparation periods, increasing production speed, reducing investment costs when introducing new vehicles, and improving quality."

The infinite multi-axis holding fixture technology exhibited that day can replace multiple fixing devices previously required for each part with a single device. Each time the process changes, the relevant information is automatically input into the computer, which then automatically moves the part to the fixing point. The robot dog Spot was also demonstrated performing real-time safety and equipment inspections within the factory using various sensors. This technology utilized AI, vision processing, and big data.

Boston Dynamics' quadruped robot Spot is demonstrating equipment inspection inside a factory. It is being developed for various purposes, as it is expected to be highly useful in spaces difficult for humans to access or during nighttime hours.
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

An automatic fuselage and wing alignment system for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) was also exhibited. UAM requires assembly precision 10 to 100 times higher than that of vehicles. This technology automatically aligns the fuselage and wings with a precision of 1 μm (micrometer) and fastens them precisely. The company explained that a process that usually takes 3 to 5 days can be completed within a few hours.

In addition to various new technology exhibitions, this year’s event also includes a manufacturing technology presentation contest, a software user conference, and seminars featuring major technology companies. The manufacturing technology presentation contest will share new technology cases that enhance the competitiveness of global production plants, and the software user conference will present achievements in software utilization internalization and data-driven work activation across various fields.

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