Hyundai Motor Group Unveils TIGER Uncrewed Ultimate Mobility Vehicle Concept

Hyundai Motor Group has introduced the company’s second Ultimate Mobility Vehicle (UMV), the TIGER (Transforming Intelligent Ground Excursion Robot). 

This vehicle is the first design to be unscrewed and able to transport various types of payload while travelling over challenging terrain. 

TIGER is in the process of being manufactured in Hyundai Motor Group’s New Horizons Studio, located in Mountain View, California. The studio was founded in the end of 2020 with the purpose of carrying out research to manufacture UMVs. 

The studio also focuses on technologies such as wheel-leg locomotion, high-performance materials and structures, high-performance power systems, chassis and body systems, virtual development and evaluation systems, and human-centered design and systems. 

“Vehicles like TIGER, and the technologies underpinning it, give us an opportunity to push our imaginations,” said its head of new horizons studio Dr. John Suh. “We are constantly looking at ways to rethink vehicle design and development and re-define the future of transportation and mobility.”

Some of the noteworthy features from the TIGER include a sophisticated leg and wheel locomotion system, 360-degree directional control, a range of sensors for remote observation, as well as connect to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which can fully charge and deliver TIGER to inaccessible locations. 

On top of that, the mobility vehicle will be able to transport goods for delivery purposes, as well as send out aid packages during emergencies due to the TIGER’s large load bay within the body. 

A unique feature about the vehicle is its retractable legs that allow it to drive as an all-wheel drive vehicle when retracted. However, when travelling over rough terrain, the vehicle will be able to use its walking ability to travel more easily. 

This feature was first seen in the launch of Hyundai’s first ever UMV concept with movable legs, the Elevate which made its debut at the 2019 Consumer Electronic Show (CES). Both vehicles share similar attributes and are a mixture of robotic and wheeled locomotion technologies except that the Elevate is able to transport passengers but the TIGER is not. 

The first version of TIGER was designed in Hyundai Motor Group’s New Horizons Studio in Silicon Valley, which is the TIGER X-1 (the X stands for experimental). The company also collaborated with a leading engineering design software company, Autodesk.

“Working closely with the team at Hyundai on the TIGER X-1 vehicle, using advanced technology such as generative design to push the boundaries of increasing strength while reducing weight in transportation, is exactly what we mean when we talk about creating the new possible,” said Autodesk vice president of business strategy for design and manufacturing Srinath Jonnalagadda. “New design, engineering and manufacturing techniques enabled by Autodesk Fusion 360 help today’s modern, collaborative teams get to production faster and more efficiently.”

As the vehicle prioritises mobility, the teams have come together to develop a more lightweight yet strong exterior, along with using carbon fibre composite additive printing for the legs and some components of the chassis.  

The TIGER will be designed to be ready for 360-degree surface evaluation for natural disaster sites or even exploring the surface of another moon or planet in space.  

For more information about the TIGER X-1, visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP9ejqW5kzOIl33vpCPQ-kw