Hyundai Mobis develops steering for self-driving cars

A computer graphic image of the new steering system developed by Hyundai Mobis for self-driving cars / Courtesy of Hyundai Mobis

By Park Jae-hyuk

Hyundai Mobis has developed a new steering system optimized for safer autonomous driving, the auto parts subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday.

Hyundai aims to commercialize the new system by 2020. A similar system has yet to be commercialized by any other company in the world.

The auto parts maker said it will test the system on real roads to perfect it.

The company plans to test-drive it on highways, streets in downtown areas and parking lots to check its performance in normal driving conditions.

Because the system uses dual electronic circuits, it allows self-driving cars to maintain their usual abilities in any circumstances including the occurrence of unexpected errors, according to Hyundai.

“Even if a circuit goes wrong, another one enables stable driving, because the new steering system is equipped with two independent circuits,” a Hyundai Mobis official said. “With the development of the new technology, we have been able to enhance our reputation as a leading tech firm that can provide integrated auto parts for self-driving cars.”

The company plans to develop all types of sensors for autonomous vehicles by 2020.

As a global auto parts manufacturer, it has recently pushed ahead with the development of its own technologies and partnered with companies specializing in specific fields.

Through these efforts, it expects to take the lead in core technologies for autonomous driving and supply its integrated systems to car manufacturers.

Also, it plans to invest 50 percent of its R&D expenditure in the field of information and communication technology by 2021, after increasing it to 10 percent of sales.

It will also hire additional researchers and affiliate with tech firms in Korea and other countries.