Hyundai Motor and its brother company Kia held the "UNI WHEEL Tech Day" in central Seoul on November 28 and unveiled the universal wheel. Hyundai said that the wheel with a built-in drive system can help carmakers drastically increase the interior area of vehicles.
"The Uni-Wheel has opened new possibilities," Hyundai said, adding: "Uni-Wheel incorporates the functions of the electric car's brake system, drive shaft, and constant velocity (CV) joints into the wheel. By positioning the motor near each wheel, a flat-floor configuration is enabled."
The universal wheel can maximize the performance of purpose-built vehicles (PBVs) such as an all-terrain rescue vehicle by increasing the passenger capacity or creating extra room for rescue equipment.
Hyundai said that each universal wheel that consists of a sun gear, four pinion gears, and a ring gear can play the role of a drive system. The pinion gears are all interlinked to allow the all-in-one wheels to be positioned as part of a multi-link mechanism, allowing them to move up, down, and sideways.
"We are pleased to present innovative ideas that can be a game-changer in the future mobility market. We will do our best to enhance the completeness of technology so that customers can experience mobility in a completely new way," Hyundai and Kia's Advanced Technology Institute researcher Park Jong-sool said.
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