In a future Hyundai factory, AI robots take on the complexity of carmaking

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In a future Hyundai factory, AI robots take on the complexity of carmaking

Published: 21 Oct. 2024, 19:25 Updated: 21 Oct. 2024, 19:30

CHO YONG-JUN
cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr

A demonstration of Boston Dynamics' four-legged robot, Spot, is held during Hyundai Motor and Kia's E-Forest Tech day at the Uiwang R&D Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, on Monday [HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP] [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

UIWANG, Gyeonggi — Robotic arms inspect complex parts of a car using AI-assisted vision algorithms, choose the hose that best fits the structure and install it. On the other side of the factory, robotic dogs patrol the floor to detect any safety hazards and sniff out any manufacturing defects — Hyundai Motor and Kia's dream factory of the future is robotic and ambitious.

Walking through the different booths at the E-Forest Tech Day event feels like a day in a future facility with fully working, life-size demonstration booths for all kinds of developed and under-development technologies from Hyundai Motor Group.

The company's automatic assembly technology for parts that are flexible and have irregular forms — like hoses — was one of the new technologies the company demonstrated at the site. While not so impressive on paper, the demonstration is a glimpse into how humanoid robots will use their vision to detect and work with irregularly shaped objects, according to the company.

Also on display was Spot, the four-legged robot from Hyundai-acquired Boston Dynamics, in action in a factory-like environment. The robot is intended to walk around the manufacturing plant and use its camera to monitor potential safety hazards, detect emergencies and inspect production to recognize and report any manufacturing defects found.

Hyundai Motor and Kia demonstrate irregular flexible parts (hose) automatic assembly technology during its E-Forest Tech day on Monday at the Euiwang R&D Center in Euiwang, Gyeonggi. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

“We currently rely on worker know-how when it comes to adjusting the gap in between different exterior panels, and we would have some variations in quality even after the inspection process,” Hyundai Motor and Kia’s E-Forest Center vice president, Lee Jae-min, said during a press event for E-Forest Tech Day on Monday, which will be held from Tuesday to Thursday at the Hyundai Motor Group Uiwang R&D Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi.

E-Forest Tech Day is automakers' three-day event designed to share the group’s latest developments in smart factory-related technologies. This year’s event was themed around a Software Defined Factory (SDF) — plants of the future that are designed with software and data integration in mind.

“In the future, we will build comprehensive data on the pattern of the different panel gaps and have AI analyze it and instruct workers on how to reduce the gap.”

Vice President Lee explained that while the existing factories do use AI technology and different software to streamline the manufacturing process, the data remained within the facility and software would often be incompatible from factory to factory.

Hyundai Motor and Kia demonstrate Inline Acoustic Noise AI Inspection Technology during its E-Forest Tech day on Monday at the Euiwang R&D Center in Euiwang, Gyeonggi. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor Group, therefore aims to create a standardized framework and software for all of its factories that internalize all source code and algorithms for complete integration, enabling factories to receive a software update twice a year, just like a smartphone, according to the company.

“As we are building our new plants, we are applying the developed technology as much as we can,” Lee said. “We believe [SDF] can cut manufacturing costs by a third.”

The tech day also displayed car parts developed using Hyundai’s hypercasting technology. Hypercasting, similar in concept to Tesla’s gigacasting, is a large-sized aluminum die-casting method that replaces smaller welded parts with one big part.

A conventional rear underbody of a car uses 50 or so individual metal parts welded together, but with hypercasting, it can be integrated into one big cast that reduces the total production cost and increases overall body rigidity, Hyundai said.

AI-aided technology will also be used in the quality control process in manufacturing. With the group's in-line acoustic noise AI inspection technology, vehicles will be able to go through an indoor inspection process that tests noise, vibration and harshness in various environments with an AI analysis. As of now, all vehicles manufactured are required to undergo an external driving test, but the new technology will allow the factory to reduce external tests to sampling of 10 percent of the total vehicles.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]