Kona N

Make
Hyundai
Segment
SUV

Along with its expanding metaverse technology, Hyundai also unveiled its new Plug & Drive (PnD) and Drive & Lift (DnL) modules at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This is all part of Hyundai's plan to mobilize everything.

The PnD is essentially a modular platform that can be scaled up or down. It has a single wheel, driven by an electric motor. Thanks to sensors and LiDar, it can move around autonomously.

"The PnD Module is adaptive and expandable to match human needs. Because in the world to come, you won't move your things - they will move around you," said Dong Jin Hyun, Vice President and Head of Robotics Lab of Hyundai Motor Group. "PnD makes normally inanimate objects mobile. It's this ability that makes changing practically any space possible. It's a way to configure spaces on demand."

It seems like a small thing, but the possibilities are endless. As you can see on the images provided by Hyundai, the PnD can be used to move suitcases at a hotel.

In an office setting, these autonomous robots can essentially arrange the furniture. You could have individual cubicles one day and ample open space for a presentation the next day.

The PnD even works as a last-mile transportation solution for one person. Hyundai sees a future where a box on wheels, driven by four PnD's, can detach from a larger public transport system and deliver a commuter right to their doorstep. This little box can also be used via a smart joystick.

Not quite a Kona N, but it's only for the last bit of the journey.

The MobED (Mobile Eccentric Droid) is another small mobility platform based on an eccentric wheel that contains the drive, steering, and braking systems. It uses the DnL system, designed specifically for outdoor use.

The DnL system is unique because it can lift and lower a wheel while keeping whatever is on the top level. That means it can go over uneven terrain, stairs, and speed bumps while preserving the cargo in place. MoBED units can be both manned and unmanned. It can move at roughly 19 mph.

Hyundai sees it as the perfect solution for guide and delivery functions. So instead of one of Amazon's Rivian delivery vans, you might see one of these bad boys rock up to deliver your package.