At CES 2023 in Las Vegas, Hyundai Mobis unveiled a new vehicle steering technology called e-Corner System, an all-in-one package module of brake by wire, steer by wire, damper, and in-wheel motor, installed on each wheel.
At the time, the Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary showed how the system was supposed to work in an animation, but it has built a working prototype since then, and now we can see it at work.
Fitted to a modified Hyundai Ioniq 5 prototype, the e-Corner System has made its first appearance on public roads to demonstrate some of its interesting applications, such as parallel parking in a tight space just by adjusting the wheel angle, and retreating from a dead end by making a 180-degree turn.
In a video shot at its proving ground in Seosan, South Korea, and on adjacent roads, Hyundai Mobis demonstrated a variety of driving modes, proving that the technology works in real-world scenarios.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 prototype with e-Corner System performing zero turn maneuver
The clip shows the e-Corner System demo car performing the “crab walk” which lets all four wheels turn 90 degrees to perform parallel movement, enabling anyone to parallel park in narrow spaces.
We can also see the Hyundai Ioniq 5 prototype doing the “zero turn,” where the front wheels rotate inside and the rear wheels turn outside to perform a 360-degree idle turn. This feature allows the driver to easily turn the direction of a vehicle in a limited space with minimum movement.
Another application of the e-Corner System demonstrated on video is “diagonal driving,” which rotates all four wheels to the same direction at 45 degrees, helping to avoid obstacles or vehicles on the road smoothly.
Finally, “pivot turn” lets the driver choose any point for central axis to rotate the vehicle accordingly, like drawing a circle using a compass.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 prototype with e-Corner System performing pivot turn maneuver
The successful demonstration of the technology on real-world roads will lead to improvements in its reliability, Hyundai Mobis said. The company sees e-Corner System as “the key mobility technology for electrification and autonomous driving.”
This innovative technology has never been mass-produced anywhere in the world, but Hyundai Mobis suggested we might see it on Hyundai Motor Group vehicles in the future.
“We are idealizing the e-Corner System in order to meet the demands for future mobility. We will secure different types of customized mobility solutions that can be applied in autonomous driving and PBVs to solidify our vision of reaching new heights as a mobility platform provider.”
Cheon Jae-seung, head of Future Technology Convergence Institute (FTCI) at Hyundai Mobis
Hyundai Mobis said it is developing a wide array of essential components in house not only for steering and braking, but also connectivity and electrification, with plans to converge them.
