Hyundai and Kia succeeded in developing a prototype of wearable robot that can assist people in walking and their goals are to commercialize it in 2020.
Hyundai and Kia made an announcement on the 23rd that they will display this prototype at ‘2015 Creative Economy Exposition’ that will be held at KOEX in Samsung-dong from the 26th to 29th.
Hyundai and Kia started developing wearable robot that assist people such as elderly people and handicaps who have difficulties in walking in 2014 and recently finished developing a prototype.
Wearable robot indicates wearable system that can sense human body’s intention in movement and either supplement or increase human body’s muscular power around movement. It is composed of sensors that recognize surrounding environment, driving motor, reducer, batteries, and controller.
Hyundai and Kia’s Uiwang Central Laboratory, which is a place that develops leading technologies, had been developing wearable robots as a type of short-distance transportation method that supports daily activities. Hyundai and Kia are currently developing a robot so that they can provide variety of forms of mobility services.
Hyundai and Kia explained that they finished developing prototypes of 4 kinds of robots such as knee-type, hip joint-type, module combination-type, and medical treatment-type and are in process of doing clinical testing.
Knee-type, hip joint-type, and module combination-type are wearable robots that are part of ‘daily support’ that helps elderly people who have difficulties in walking and those that need correction or rehabilitation of posture. Medical treatment-type, which is an evolved form of module combination-type, is a wearable robot that is part of ‘medical treatment and rehabilitation’ that helps those who are paralyzed from lower halves to bottom and do not have strength to even stand on their own walk. Medical treatment-type performs functions by issuing movement commands such as sitting, standing, and stopping through an interface equipment that is attached to a crutch.
Hyundai and Kia are predicting that wearable robots will be commercialized in 2020.
“Wearable robot that assists in walking is a result that reflects Hyundai and Kia’s future vision of providing total mobility services to variety of customers including those who have difficulties in walking.” said a person who is affiliated with Hyundai and Kia. “Hyundai and Kia will focus their research capabilities hereafter in developing variety of leading technologies so that they can secure leadership in future technologies.”
Other than wearable robots that assist in walking, Hyundai and Kia will also display variety of future leading technological items such as a model of fuel cell electric vehicle`s cross section, future car IT experience module, ‘Origin’ that is a method of transportation for one person and others that correspond to a concept of evolution of future mobility and augmented reality application and fuel cell electric vehicle’s electrolyte membrane that are results of Gwangju Center for Creative Economy & Innovation.
Staff Reporter Mun, Bokyung | okmun@etnews.com