Hankook Tire unveils Design Innovation 2022 project

- Unveils ‘WheelBot’, an innovative wheel system that embodies future mobility with current technology
- Proposes Space Specific Mobility to change infrastructure and quality of life of smart cities in the future
- Continuous R&D for future mobility and concept tires to play specific roles for future spaces

Seoul, Korea, October 4, 2022 – Global leading tire company Hankook Tire & Technology unveils its Design Innovation 2022 project at Design Innovation Day, an opening event of ‘2022 MADE IN HANKOOK’, that is being held at complex cultural space Peaches D8NE located in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.

‘Design Innovation Project’ is Hankook Tire's research and development program held since 2012 with an aim to propose a vision for smart cities and the changing mobility of the future. Through this, Hankook Tire has been presenting mobility solutions equipped with new concept futuristic tires that take mobility infrastructure system into consideration.

Under the theme of ‘Urban Reshaping’, Hankook Tire elaborates on how mobility innovation will reconstruct space in future smart cities. Hankook Tire’s presented the new mobility concept optimized for these environments, Space Shifting Mobility (SSM). Reflecting sustainability trends, the company put future smart cities that are human centered and environmentally friendly into consideration.

SSM is a mobility concept that combines Hankook Tire's innovative sphere wheel system and mini-van-sized POD spaces. It allows three-dimensional movement from roads to inside buildings through installed rails. Moreover, this concept is expected to enable the efficient use of energy by flexibly configuring spaces as needed. SSM can be applied to homes, medical institutions, and even work environments.

This year's project was carried out in collaboration with robotics startup company, Calmantech Corp. This time, Hankook took a step further by bringing futuristic mobility ideas to life. The company successfully built the ‘WheelBot’, a modular robotic wheel system with three axles, which appears in the future smart city scenario. Furthermore, Hankook offers visitors to ‘2022 MADE IN HANKOOK’ an opportunity to drive the ‘WheelBot’ in person.

The Design Innovation 2022 project adds significance as it is the first time for the company to unveil a tangible product that can be driven. In 2020, Hankook Tire successfully launched animation videos of future mobility scenarios and unveiled prototype mockups in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati in the U.S. In addition, Hankook has collaborated with Royal College of Art (RCA) in London, and Pforzheim University in Germany to carry out other concept projects since 2012.

The video of Design Innovation 2022 project is available on Hankook Tire's official YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/hankooktirekorea1). It will also be available for visitors to experience during ‘2022 MADE IN HANKOOK’, being held in Peaches D8NE until October 9^th.

With ‘WheelBot’ marking its first success, Hankook Tire plans to continue conducting research and development in cooperation with companies to make future mobility a reality. Hankook has opened an open innovation platform called Design Innovation Alliance (DIA) with companies including robotics startup company Calmantech and mobility startup company Mobiltech.