Wouldn’t it be cool to have a car that can traverse through any terrains? Wonder no more for Hyundai has designed a concept car that can, literally, walk on four limbs as well as drive on rocky mountains.
Using an advanced suspension technology, this concept car is designed to tackle extreme road obstacles.
In the event of a natural disaster, roads may become inaccessible to normal cars and driving is not an option. To solve the limitation of a car, Hyundai’s brightest minds came up with a futuristic solution. They design a car that can drive, walk, and climb through rough areas.
This way, the car can reach disaster victims no matter how difficult their positions are. Thus, this concept car can potentially save countless lives.
The project, named Hyundai Elevate concept, made its first appearance at CES 2019. The initial concept design is focused on creating a rescue vehicle that can operate during a disaster. This car that can walk will eliminate the limitation of wheels that cannot bypass rubles, rocks, or other obstructions.
Once Hyundai Elevate reaches a safer and flatter road, it can disable the walking mode and drive rescued victims with speed to emergency centers. With a combination of wheels and walking, this concept vehicle is indeed very versatile.
The sentiment is confirmed by Hyundai’s CRADLE Vice President John Suh. He explained that the Elevate’s will be mainly used to rescue people trapped in difficult terrain. The concept car will drive fast on passable roads and walk through debris or rocky hills.
Furthermore, the concept car will also be useful for people who have mobility issues or disabilities. Because of the flexible suspension, the Elevate can also level itself so that people who use wheelchairs can easily get on. This feature will certainly be helpful because not all cars have a ramp.
Additionally, the Elevate concept car can be utilized in normal everyday usage as well. Potentially, people who are thirsty for extreme adventure can use this walking Hyundai in a recreational manner as well. Driving a car that can walk is like controlling a Transformer robot.
According to Hyundai, the concept Elevate car is inspired by modular EV technology. It allows suspension to transform itself to adapt with the varying terrains and situations.
Furthermore, the robotic legs mode of the Elevate car will be mimicking the walking movement of mammals and reptiles to various degrees. It will also allow omnidirectional movements thus it can navigate to anywhere you want it to be.
While the Hyundai Elevate is an ambitious concept car, this technology will open up to new possibilities. It gives us hope to design more efficient vehicles that can save more lives. Wouldn’t it be fun to ride on a walking car?