Car Giant’s Next Concept: Inspired by the Robot Dog

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There may soon be new owners for Spot, the well-known robot dog who ventured into Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone and narced on social distancing rule-breakers.

According to reports, Softbank is in talks to sell its robotics company, Boston Dynamics, to Hyundai in a deal worth about $1 billion.

So what’s the fascination with the robot dog that Hyundai has? There are no facts at this time, and one can only speculate that the carmaker has a particular interest in the robot’s legs. Hyundai may be interested in integrating these parts into their company and creating a new concept of walking cars. At a Las Vegas show in 2019, Hyundai’s Elevate concept presented electric vehicles that resembled insect-like robots. According to the description of the vehicle at the time, it could travel at normal speeds, climb walls 1.5 meters tall, and even step over chasms 1.5 meters wide.

In a press release that year, Hyundai announced the new concept represents the first “ultimate mobility vehicle.” It is really a car with legs. According to PopularMechanics.com, the company intends to implement the innovative concept into vehicles for search-and-rescue operations, allowing them to handle difficult terrain conditions. With this move, Hyundai appears to be closer than ever to putting theory into practice.

Sounds interesting? Discover more interesting innovations at AUS&R 2022 – the Unmanned Systems and Robotics Conference – the tenth annual event, by iHLS.