Hyundai Reveals Walking Car Concept With Legs To Get To Areas It Can’t Drive In
Image via Hyundai
In terms of coverage, Hyundai’s experimental car truly has a leg up above the rest.
The unusual concept is called the TIGER X-1, with “TIGER” being short for Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot. Unlike most four-wheel drives, the TIGER X-1 has motorized and bendable limbs to cross over obstacles in geographic terrains hard to reach by wheels.
Each wheel is attached with a leg that, upon being confronted with a difficult area, straightens up or bends and steps over the obstacle. Sensors are installed to detect possible complications or uneven ground.
No driver is needed, as the miniaturized TIGER X-1 is fully autonomous.
The car thus has the advantage of being able to carry cargo to “extreme, remote” terrain. Depending on the type of location, it can either serve as a four-wheeled vehicle or “a four-legged walking machine,” Hyundai describes in a press release, and its ability to travel in all directions—whether via wheels or legs—means it can really go places.
“Based on amodular platform architecture, its features include a sophisticated leg and wheel locomotion system, 360-degree directional control, and a range of sensors for remote observation,” Hyundai continues. “It is also intended to connect to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which can fully charge and deliver TIGER to inaccessible locations.”
The concept car’s makers expect that the model would be especially useful after natural disasters, as its 360-degree surface evaluative capabilities will allow it to locate victims trapped beneath the rubble. It can also deliver food or medical supplies to them.
Thanks to its versatility, the car can even travel around difficult-to-reach areas on the moon or other planets to aid space research.
However, Hyundai notes that the TIGER X-1 will require a few more years of development before being able to work in real-world applications.
Image via Hyundai
Image via Hyundai
[via BGR, images via Hyundai]
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