No, we aren't talking about that time spiders were nesting inside certain Mazdas. In a recent interview, the chairman was asked what new technology Hyundai was studying. In which he gave a surprising reply.
"I just met people from the Rhode Island School of Design here. We are cooperating with the design center to study insects, such as the aerodynamics of perfect flying and their structures. Their skins, antennae and joints are subjects we study for mobility technology. For instance, spiders have eight eyes, while autonomous cars are equipped with more than 10 camera sensors such as LiDAR and radars. There are limitless features to learn from insects."
[Translated from Korean]
This is understandable. If you've ever seen Bee Movie, the 2007 kids movie produced by DreamWorks Animation and starring Seinfeld, you've likely heard the quote that bees are a mystery as to how they can fly so effectively, given their limited wings and large bodies. Some Scientists have taken to examining insects like bees and flies to develop better flight technology. So why can we also look at spiders for our self-driving cars?
The header image is of Mattel's failed "cricket car" toy, and is not related to Hyundai or it's self driving technology.
