Hyundai Mobis test-drives 'crab walking car' on public roads

South Korea's Hyundai Mobis has verified through test-drives of a demonstration vehicle on public roads the real-life use of the company's e-corner system, which enables in-place wheel rotation and horizontal driving.

Wheels on a conventional car can only move 30-40 degrees left and right, but those with e-corner modules can do so up to 90 degrees independently.

The automotive parts maker on Sunday said it conducted driving tests on an e-corner-equipped IONIQ 5 at a testing track in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, and on nearby public roads.

“We are the first in the world to verify the performance of a demonstration vehicle with this technology, which was once considered future mobility know-how, on general roads with many variables,” a Hyundai Mobis source said.

The e-corner system enables independent control of each wheel. Turning the steering wheel commonly causes a vehicle's front wheels to rotate around 30 degrees to move the vehicle. The system, however, integrates the drive motor, electronic brake and steering function into one module and applies it to each wheel. The driver can adjust each wheel's angle and turn each one a maximum of 90 degrees.

On the same day, Hyundai Mobis released a video of the vehicle moving sideways with its wheels at 90 degrees and later performing a “zero turn” with all four wheels at different angles rotating in place. Parallel parking in a tight space can also be done horizontally without the need for complicated steering controls. 

Also shown was “oblique (sideways) driving,” in which the vehicle runs at a 45-degree angle, and “pivot turn,” which allows rotation around a single point, to enable agile movement in a complicated downtown area.

Scheduled for launch within four years by the company, this technology is expected to be applied to self-driving and purpose-based vehicles.

"We will take a major step toward becoming a ‘mobility platform provider’ by securing solutions customized for future vehicles from various angles," said Hyundai Mobis Managing Director Cheon Jae-sung, who heads the company's R&D division and Future Technology Convergence Institute.

Write to Nan-Sae Bin at binthere@hankyung.com