The Mobile Eccentric Droid (ModED) consists of a flat, rectangular bodied riding on 4 large wheels, with independent suspension and 12 inch pneumatic tires. All the wheels rotate independently from each other, so that the body can tilt the back of its head around the other corners. The end result is that, as shown in the video below, a tiny robot capable of transporting difficult loads over a variety of terrain and obstacles. According to Dong Jin Hyun, Head of Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Lab, we developed a MobED platform to ease the limitations of existing indoor guide and service robots while increasing its useability in cities. As long as it is serving indoors, MobED could come up with the possibility of becoming an autonomous delivery robot at that moment. Hyundai refers to the braking and the acceleration of the steering wheel as the “Eccentric Wheel Drive”. This result is the ability to perform in-place rotation, omnidirectional movements and posture control for advanced stabilization. The ModED battery can travel at speeds up to 30 km/h and battery life is four hours. Although availability and pricing for MobED aren’t revealed yet, Hyundai will have the robot on display at CES 2022 next month.
