Looking through carmaker patent applications is always a pretty good time, at least if you have really, really generous parameters for what you define as a “good time.” In this case, this good time was suggested to me by an Autopian named Robert, who sent me a puzzling screenshot and the suggestion that “y’all need to be looking at the WIPO Hague Express (search Hyundai),” and that’s all the motivation I need to dig into a big database of European patents and look for the weird stuff. Robert was correct; Hyundai/Kia has been really busy the past few months, and, I have to say, the results are are, um, unexpected.
Specifically, Robert suggested I look at a bunch of patents that showed up under the “Hyundai/user interface” search terms, and again, he wasn’t wrong. There is a lot of peculiar stuff in there. And, I should mention, all of the text descriptions for these patents are really, really vague.
Stuff like this:
The text, when translated, pretty much just tells you to place your hands on your hips and look straight ahead, and that this will measure your size and posture. But what for? Why is Hyundai making an interface to measure people’s size and posture? Is this something for future cars? Seats with inflatable bladders to best accommodate different body sizes, maybe? Could that be it? If there are bladders involved, I’m all for it.
As far as the patent description goes, this is all you get:
“The broken lines in the reproductions form no part of the claimed design; design is an animated graphical user interface, in which the appearance of the animated image sequentially transitions from the images shown in reproductions 1.1 to 1.6. “
See? Vague as hell.
There’s more, though, lots more. Like this:
What the hell is that? The text says something about getting off an elevator? And then there’s this:
The text there tells you to check your delivery and have a great time with your kids. Okay, great. But what the hell is that thing in the kiddie pool? Is that an air fryer? Let’s see if any of these other patents can clear up what Hyundai may be getting at.
Uh. Huh. At first, I thought these might be concepts for a digital instrument cluster display, but then I gave in to my pareidolia and let myself just see these paired circles as a pair of eyes. Usually when I do that with paired circles, it’s just a weird coincidence, but this time I think I’m on to something. Because this was what I saw next:
Ahhh! It’s a robot! And they seem to be patenting the eye-emotions that the robot can convey. I translated the original Korean so we can all know that Hyundai is developing a robot capable of at least synthesizing feelings of excitement, anger, disbelief, frustration, dismay, and, um, incuriosity. You know, the essentials.
So who is this robot? Well, it’s one that Hyundai has been working on for a while, named DAL-e:
I know Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot tends to hog all of the car-company-makes-robots press, but carmakers like Honda and GM and Hyundai have been at this for years.
Okay, we’re not nearly done with the weird stuff, though. This is by far the most confusing of the patents, which is for a “Docking interface system for mobility station.” And this is what it shows:
Uh, what am I looking at here? Is the boxy thing rendered in dotted lines a building? A vehicle? Let’s look at the whole description:
1.1.1 is a top, front and left perspective view of a docking interface system for mobility station showing our new design; 1.2 is a front elevation view thereof; 1.3 is a rear elevation view thereof; 1.4 is a right side elevation view thereof; 1.5 is a left side elevation view thereof; 1.6 is a top plan view thereof; 1.7 is a bottom plan view thereof; 1.8 to 1.11 are reference views thereof showing how this article is used; 1.8 shows one side of this article opened; 1.9 shows a mobility approaching this article; 1.10 shows this article opening to dock with a mobility; and 1.11 shows a mobility docking with the inner side of this article; this article combines a mobility station where a mobility can be charged or passengers can get in or out of the mobility; a mobility can dock with the inner side of this article; the parts shown by means of broken lines in reproductions 1.9 to 1.11 are not part of the claimed design; and the reflections/shadows shown in reproductions 1.1 to 1.11 are disclaimed.
Okay, so I think the boxy thing is a “mobility” which I think is some manner of vehicle, and the “article” is some kind of giant, articulated semi-orb that “docks” with the mobility? There are other designs for this, too, like this one that seems like a colossal roly-poly:
What are you planning, Hyundai? Assuming that “mobility” is the size of a small van, these things would have to be huge! Huge, articulated things to encapsulate some sort of vehicle? Why? What’s this for? Is this some kind of station for automated vehicles of some kind? Why would they need to enclose the vehicle like that? Are they meant to interface with some sort of existing architecture? I have so many questions.
There’s normal stuff here, too, like a rendering of the upcoming 2026 Kia EV3:
… and I’m not really clear why this has a user interface patent. I do like the crazy wheels, though.
Just to cleanse my brain-palette from all the madness, I decided to see what sorts of taillights Hyundai/Kia has been patenting lately, and saw some nice stuff, some of which is already familiar and on production cars:
That last one there really resembles a cut of meat in this grayscale rendering, for some reason. It feels like a steak, or something.
I need to dig into those docking things more; carmakers will rarely comment on things found in patent applications, just like how they never comment on future products, so I’m not too hopeful I’ll find out anything useful, but maybe I’ll get lucky?
Patent Suggests Ford May Finally Give The Maverick The One Thing It Truly Needs
Ford Is Seeking A Patent On Eavesdropping On Your Conversations So They Can Show You Ads On Your Dash Like Nobody Freaking Wants
Porsche Patents A Six-Stroke Combustion Engine And I’m Not Sure I Get It
These appear to be all design patent applications not utility, which explains why there’s not much of a description.
It’s probably worth you knowing that a couple of years ago, Hyundai bought Boston Dynamics with their dancing-terminator robot technology. Now they want to scan your body like a sci-fi movie… which feels sinister.
The mobility thing will be like train/bus stations but for autonomous pods. The design of the first one you showed is a giant Hyundai ‘H’ logo made 3D so a pod can park inside it.
From the thumbnail image I honestly assumed Hyundai had developed a seat-testing robot that takes your, uh, “plums” into account. I know automakers already test seats using robotic butts, so it wouldn’t be inconceivable…
Let’s just hope if they do have a robot with balls, it doesn’t make those faces while testing seats.
Oh, I think it’s pretty obvious. Everybody’s worrying about self driving cars, but the problem is that if the car is driving itself, how do you know what it’s going to do because there’s nobody to look at and do all that eye contact stuff with. So obviously Hyundai is coming up with a Robo chauffeur to fulfill the problem, literally, of AI with a face. Or at least AI with great big googly eyes..
If it’s not a patent for AI with a face to drive your car, then hey I’m cleaning prior art. AI with a face. I like that. Not creepy at all right?
Simple they want body measurements to properly weigh and spread weight out for best performance of the car. Then sell your BMI to your insurance company and bankrupt you in insurance premiums. Everyone needs to stop buying cars based on features especially if there is no reason explain for the features and it is on a monthly plan. WAKE UP
Are those taillights patented, or trademarked? A patent would cover novel functionality, and I’m not getting that from the article.
Design patent, not a trademark. The bar for getting a design patent is pretty low.
Had to be listed as an inventor on this.
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/e2/10/50/ef916077ace093/US20080143548A1.pdf
Fortunately, we didn’t actually get a patent, but it serves the function of being prior art. It’s basically “shit happens and people get calls”. Mostly to prevent someone else from patenting some variation on it.
That’s a funny one.
That orb thing with the “mobility station” is a warped Hyundai logo. Pretty slick design! https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.carssaipan.com%2Fhyundai-logo-history%2F&psig=AOvVaw2PUUgp_p_3AZIk7xF77Uvb&ust=1736038004838000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCOClotfr2ooDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE
Are they going with the stupid rear turn signals in the bumper thing again?
That top row of robots; I feel like I am playing a “Spot the difference” game and can’t find any differences.
Glad to see they got iced coffee eyes correct.
When Hyundai told me to put my hands on my hips, I thought we were going to do the Time Warp again.
When they dip, you dip, we dip.
It’s a jump to the left.
Then a step to the riiiight.
Don’t forget the pelvic thrust
Ooh! Ah! Ooh! Ah! Ooh!
Worth remembering that Hyundai is a massive company that makes a LOT more than cars
I saw one of the newer Santa Fes and thought it was a shipping container.
I hate to break this to you, Torch, but I think you just signed up for Squid Game.
I hate to break this to you, Torch, but I think you just signed up for Squid Game.
You can say that again!