Hyundai Is Developing AI Specifically For Heavy-Duty Towing And Rugged Off-Roading
Your next Hyundai could have AI that handles all the heavy lifting
Automakers have a lot more going on than they publicize. Behind the scenes, cars coming out years from now are already taking shape, and plenty of the tech going to those cars is in the same development process. Thanks to a new job listing at Hyundai, we now know it's working on some intriguing new technology, and it could have big implications for the company's future trucks and SUVs.
Specifically, the brand has an engineering position available and the person who fills the role will have some very interesting tasks. The position, titled AI Control Systems Engineer, is based at Hyundai America Technical Center in Superior Township, Michigan. It specifically concerns next-generation Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis vehicles developed for North America.
The listing calls for an engineer capable of using machine learning, reinforcement learning, and model predictive control to improve vehicle performance. Those are a lot of nebulous words so let us break it down a little bit. At the tail end of the listing, it says the person in the role will focus on heavy-duty towing and rugged off-roading. The intersection of those features and AI is where this gets really fascinating.
AI that knows what you're doing
Hyundai wants the tech that comes out of this development to estimate vehicle payload, trailer mass, and tire-road friction. Again, it wants to accomplish this without needing dedicated sensors for each thing. If successful, it would be a big deal. A vehicle that can actively estimate how much weight it's carrying or towing could, in theory, actively adjust for that load. Imagine an SUV or truck that could tune its powertrain, braking, and stability control based on the specific load in question without input from the driver. That's what we're talking about here. Similarly, a vehicle that can accurately estimate available tire grip could actively adjust to loose gravel, mud, or slippery surfaces on the fly.
Hyundai mentions two technologies that it calls "intelligent towing assist" and "terrain adaptation." It doesn't directly link them to the AI-powered software, but it's easy to see how they could be one and the same. Both suggest vehicles capable of responding more intelligently to changing conditions. In addition, there's at least one more trick that Hyundai might be cooking up.
The listing talks about using machine learning algorithms to anticipate component failures. Specifically, it links that system to times when the vehicle is towing or going off-road. Could we soon see a future where a Hyundai product alerts a driver before an axle snaps or a transmission gets too hot or brakes begin to fade? It sure seems so if the team can make such a system reliable and accurate enough for production. Of all the uses of AI that we've seen, this group of features might be some of the most innovative and least controversial.