Spider-like walking car seeks to revolutionize disaster recovery (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
We may not have flying cars yet, but Hyundai has finally built one that can… walk? Resembling something from a Transformers film, the vehicles are designed to navigate difficult terrain by blending electric car and robotic tech.
Developed to help first responders in the wake of natural disasters, the Hyundai Elevate can do pretty much whatever it sets its mind to. Its four spindly legs boast five points of motion, making it resemble a hyper-flexible spider that just happens to be missing a few limbs. Hyundai showed off its creation at CES Las Vegas 2019.
No natural disaster on the horizon? The Elevate can help the handicapped while it waits for the next avalanche – Hyundai VP John Suh describes “hail[ing] an autonomous Hyundai Elevate that could walk up to their front door, level itself, and allow their wheelchair to roll right in – the possibilities are limitless.”
With a modular body that can be swapped out for different uses, the Elevate comes in “taxi yellow” as well – though the promotional video doesn’t show the legs extending to roll over the top of traffic like in the movies, so chances are you’ll still be stuck in traffic.
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And they retract to a stealth “drive” mode, in case you don’t want to make the other vehicles feel bad about themselves.
Capable of both “mammalian and reptilian walking gaits,” the Elevate can also climb over a five-foot wall, according to Hyundai – so you’ll have to find somewhere else to hide.
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