Hyundai tells CES it's bringing robotics into metaverse

Jan. 6 (UPI) -- South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor said the company would use robotics in the "metaverse," or the virtual world.

The conglomerate disclosed the plan during its Tuesday presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show 2022 in Las Vegas.

Hyundai dubbed the vision as "meta-mobility," which it said is designed to make robots act as a medium between the real world and virtual spaces so that changes in the metaverse are reflected in reality.

The company said the distinctions between future mobilities would be blurred thanks to robotics technology, and as a result, vehicles and urban air mobility devices will serve as smart devices to access the metaverse platform.

"At Hyundai, we are harnessing the power of robotics to achieve great things. We envision future mobility solutions made possible by advanced robotics -- even expanding our mobility solutions to meta-mobility," Hyundai Chairman Chung Eui-sun said.

This vision will enable unlimited freedom of movement and progress for humanity."

Over the past few years, Hyundai has bet big on robotics technology. In particular, the firm acquired U.S. robotics company Boston Dynamics in 2020 for $880 million.

The startup is famous for machines such as Spot and Atlas. The former is a four-legged robot that can trot, climb stairs, and open doors, while the latter is a humanoid robot.

Boston Dynamics founder and Chairman Mark Raibert also attended the presentation and said he envisioned a future in which people and robots work side by side.

"We see a future where robots become more than just task-oriented tools, more than just machines," Raibert said. "We believe in a future where robots become useful, trusted companions in our everyday lives."