Robot Future: Hyundai Wonders How Humans Will Interact With Machines

Can you imagine a future where a robot is part of your day-to-day life? Where your furniture could move around the house by itself at your whim? Or when you wouldn’t have to throw out the trash because the trashcan would do it for you? Does this all sound too far-fetched? Look around you. Little by little robots have been spidering their way into our world, and we can see even more changes coming sooner than you think.

At least that’s the vision Hyundai recently outlined during a presentation where it detailed how robots and robotics will interact with humans in the future, where mobility becomes  uncomplicated thanks to machines and software. You may have answered the questions above with more questions. Maybe robots freak you out; maybe you don’t see any problems with how you get around or live your life today; maybe you’re scratching your head as to why Hyundai is investing so much time and energy into this robo-future thing in the first place. You probably wouldn’t be in the minority.

The fact is, we interact with robots and robotics every day. Take the proliferation of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that allow ever more vehicles to drive semi-autonomously (Hyundai’s SmartSense, GM’s Super Cruise, and Tesla’s Autopilot are among the examples). Those vending machines that neatly deliver you a drink or the vacuums that clean your home when you’re away? They’re robots, too. It’s where we go from here that’s the challenge facing automakers and other technology-centric companies.

Moving the Immovable

Hyundai is focusing its efforts in the space on bringing mobility to immovable things. By developing robots that can move objects autonomously, the company is also envisioning helping disabled people by creating an ecosystem where traffic is controlled, there’s order on the streets, and parking isn’t an issue.

Like other automakers, Hyundai is pivoting to becoming more of a technology mobility company, and it has already been making deep investments into machines designed to aid that transition. The Korean automaker has partnered with Uber to develop flying taxis, and in mid-2021, Hyundai acquired Boston Dynamics, a Massachusetts-based robotics company known for its four-legged robot Spot and human-like robot Atlas. You may have seen them on YouTube dancing to The Contours’ “Do You Love Me,” or doing Olympic-style gymnastics.

While Spot can be trained to do logistical work in big warehouses, the goal is to pair it with the robots developed by Hyundai’s in-house Hyundai Robotics division. Founded in 1984, Hyundai Robotics produced more than 50,000 robots in 2018 and commercialized most of them. Although their tasks are primarily industrial in nature, the company is looking for ways to integrate the Boston Dynamics robots with its Hyundai Robotics products. At the 2022 CES Show, Hyundai showed off its Plug and Drive (PnD) module, a device that stands on one wheel and features a suspension system, LiDAR (laser-based radar), and camera sensors that enable it to move and stop autonomously—all packed in a cylinder measuring about 18 inches. One module can support 100 kilos, or about 220 pounds. A single module isn’t designed for many solo tasks; the idea is to scale it. For example, four modules working together could be used to move personal capsules for people with disabilities, execute last-mile deliveries, or serve as a moving platform for warehouses. In essence, the PnD module is designed to bring mobility to immovable things.

Humans and Robots Working Together

Although interactions between humans and robots don’t happen nearly as often in the public space as they do in warehouses and factories, according to Marc Raibert, founder and chairman of Boston Dynamics, we’re not far away from that changing. Raibert firmly believes in a future where robots will not only interact with humans, but eventually become trusted companions (think a scaled-back version of Rosey from The Jetsons). In order for that to happen, however, he believes robots will need to prove their value to humanity. “Robots are going to need the kind of breakthrough the iPhone had,” Raibert said. “It’s a breakthrough not necessarily in terms of technology but in the use case situations. I don’t know what that is—there were a number of failed social robots companies over the past couple of years, so I don’t think anybody has figured it out yet.”

Even if and when robots do become a normal part of our daily lives, Raibert doesn’t think society as we know it will fundamentally transform—at least not in the short run. “I don’t believe that even when we have robots in our homes, human life is going to completely change,” he said. “I think it will help us, but we’re still going to be focused on our families and our loved ones. We’re going to want furniture that has nice wood in it, we’re not going to a stainless-steel design like it’s portrayed on TV. Fundamentally, human life—love, hate, power, all those things—that’s what we’re about. That’s not going to change.”

What will change are some of the jobs humans do today, particularly in factories and warehouses where robots could work 24/7 without taking smoke breaks, long lunches, or sick days. Although humans will always be needed to work on and with the robots, automation will continue to take over much as it has in recent decades. “I think we’re going to displace jobs, and these are going to create talented jobs instead,” Raibert said.

Indeed, according to a 2018 World Economic Forum study cited by Raibert, it’s estimated that by 2025 machines will do more tasks than humans, but the coming “robot revolution” will also create 58 million net new jobs in the next five years.

The idea of robots taking over many of the jobs now performed by humans has always been a scary proposition, and it’s already happened in auto factories and elsewhere to a certain extent. But Raibert suggests that currently robots are “too stupid” to do things without human intervention. “We’re not far enough along for the robots to have that kind of autonomy,” he said. But he also believes having the combination of the robot and the human will open a lot of doors. “If you want to work on things in the next 10 years, you want to have that interaction,” he added.

As Raibert suggested, the end goal of robots isn’t to change the fundamentals of humans, but as they start to integrate more and more in our society, new jobs will emerge and will keep us moving. “Just like you’re carrying your phone today, I think one day we’ll all carry a Spot or an Atlas in the future,” said Euisun Chung, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group.  “And they will make great contributions to humans as robots can visit places that we cannot.”

In order for us to have a version of Spot by our side someday, technology must continue to improve, costs must come down, and companies must find successful use cases. But whether we’re ready or not, change is coming, and it’s only going to accelerate as we continue to interact with and develop advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, and other related technologies. “Like ADAS in your car, I think [the interaction with robots] will come a little bit faster than what we’re expecting,” said Dr. Hunkeon Ko, senior engineer at Hyundai Robotics.

So, can you now imagine a future where robots are present in your day-to-day life?

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