One of the toughest challenges for automakers is to prepare for the future of mobility, today. That means anticipating transport needs, and securing the necessary technological and manufacturing know-how to meet them. And it all starts with a vision of how people and vehicles will need to move.
At Hyundai, the ultimate aim is unprecedented mobility. The automaker recently set up a new unit, the New Horizons Studio, focused on the development of Ultimate Mobility Vehicles (UMVs). These vehicles are designed for travel in unconventional and off-road terrain, in some cases where vehicles have never operated before, and for this, wheels alone won't cut it. "We began by asking, 'What if you could bring in robotics and make the car transform from a four-wheel drive to a four-legged walking machine?'" explains John Suh, Founding Director of the New Horizons Studio.
