Hyundai Mobis foldable steering wheel / Courtesy of Hyundai Mobis

By Kim Hyun-bin

Hyundai Mobis is developing innovative technologies to provide differentiated mobility and unique experiences to customers. The company aims to bolster its commercialization system by introducing technologies to respond to the new environment of future mobility based on autonomous driving.

The e-corner module, autonomous driving airbag and foldable steering wheel, which Hyundai Mobis showed off at the Seoul Mobility Show at the end of last year, are among its representative future mobility technologies.

The e-corner module is an innovative technology that combines the braking, steering, suspension, and drive systems of a vehicle into one wheel. When this technology is applied, the wheels can rotate up to 90 degrees, enhancing the convenience of driving especially in a narrow and complex road environment.

Hyundai Mobis is also developing a 'face-to-face passenger protection airbag' that protects seated passengers during autonomous driving and a 'relaxed passenger protection airbag' that protects the head and chest of passengers who are sitting in comfortable positions.

The 'foldable steering wheel' developed by Hyundai Mobis is a technology that folds up the steering wheel when it is not needed during autonomous driving mode. If driver intervention is required, the steering wheel can be unfolded again.

By using this technology, the steering wheel appears and disappears as needed, making it possible to secure a large interior space as well as to create a differentiated design for the driver's seat.

Hyundai Mobis plans to develop a next-generation parking control system specialized for Korea and Europe, where there are many narrow alleys and where parking environments are complex, and will seek to win orders from global carmakers.

With the push of a button, this technology enables autonomous driving in narrow alleys, underground parking lots or in situations where the driver has to back out of a dead end.