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Hyundai unveils robotic walking car Elevate at CES technology fair
In emergency conditions, the transportation options for rescue operations are limited. Rubble and debris remaining in the aftermath of a catastrophic event often lead recovery crews to walk or climb to wherever they’re ultimately needed, slowing efforts during time-sensitive situations. After a three year development process, Hyundai has now revealed a tool to help these types of scenarios at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: a small rolling car that transforms into a walking car called Elevate.
This car-robot hybrid looks a bit like a rover you’d expect to see on Mars or the Moon, only the legs have a spider-like quality to them, indicating flexibility over rigidity. The vehicle overall has a small body that looks somewhat like an SUV cabin with a “leggy” lower half when raised for its non-road traveling mode. The body can be removed and exchanged as needed for different operations, and the bottom walking/rolling half can be operated independently.
Elevate has two walking modes to help its mobility across nearly any terrain. First, “reptilian mode”, where the vehicle spreads its robotic legs wide and moves similar to a lizard. Second, “mammalian mode”, where the legs operate underneath the body similar to a lion, tiger, bear, etc. The walking car also boasts the ability to go in any direction, step over a five-foot gap, and climb over a five-foot wall. Oh, and it’s still a car, so normal/quick road driving is part of the package deal as well.
- 1/5th scale proof of concept for Hyundai’s Elevate, a walking car for special situations. | Credit: Hyundai
- 1/5th scale proof of concept for Hyundai’s Elevate, a walking car for special situations. | Credit: Hyundai
- Artistic concept of Hyundai’s Elevate, a walking car for special situations. | Credit: Hyundai
- Artistic concept of Hyundai’s Elevate, a walking car for special situations. | Credit: Hyundai
- Artistic concept of Hyundai’s Elevate, a walking car for special situations. | Credit: Hyundai
- Artistic concept of Hyundai’s Elevate, a walking car for special situations. | Credit: Hyundai
Along with search and rescue missions, Hyundai has proposed Elevate as a helpful tool for the disabled. In areas where a wheelchair ramp isn’t available, for example, an Elevate owned by a local government could be hailed to assist, much like a taxi. The disabled person would be transported from their home all the way to the door of their destination.
While a full version of the walking car has not yet been produced, the concept has been proven in models at one-fifth of scale. There are also no immediate plans to produce the vehicle, according to Hyundai. However, even at a the smaller robotic level, the development efforts could be useful in a market scenario. Robotic solutions for difficult terrains and emergency operations are frequently sought after and several are under development. Also, there’s a big population of people and companies looking at multiplanetary habitation/exploration where a technology like Elevate would be desired in plenty of scenarios.
The Elevate concept comes from Hyundai Cradle, the car manufacturer’s center for robotic-augmented design in living experiences. According to the company’s website, they work with a dedicated portfolio of startups to navigate the regulatory process and seize on new opportunities to go to market. In other words, they’re a venture capital company working to develop innovations in robotic living.
To see the Elevate in action on an animated and miniature scale, watch the below videos:
News
Tesla VP shares key insights on latest Optimus dance demos
Optimus’ dance demonstrations shocked quite a good number of Tesla followers.

A Tesla VP recently shared some key insights about Optimus’ latest dance demonstrations. Tesla showcased Optimus’ dance moves in two demonstrations this week, with its second demo becoming a shock to many.
Optimus Demonstrations
Optimus’ initial demonstration this week featured the humanoid robot performing a number of rhythmic actions. As per Tesla Vice President of Optimus (Tesla Bot) Milan Kovac, the humanoid robot’s movements were trained in simulation. He also explained that the cable, which could be seen attached at the back of Optimus, was simply there in case of a fall.
Interestingly enough, a follow-up video demonstration featuring Optimus performing even more advanced rhythmic movements was posted by CEO Elon Musk on social media platform X on Tuesday. In this demo, Optimus could be seen performing ballet and modern dance moves. Unlike the previous demonstration, Optimus was completely untethered this time around. Elon Musk stated in a follow-up post on X that Optimus should eventually be able to do ballet movements perfectly.
What the Optimus VP Says
Kovac has provided some key insights on Optimus’ second demonstration for the week. As per the Tesla executive, the movements of the humanoid robot in the video were in real-time. The demonstration was also fully learned in simulation and zero-shot transferred to real without extra training.
“Here’s a little more, and no cables this time. It’s all real-time speed, zero CGI, fully learned in simulation & zero-shot transferred to real. Besides the fact that it’s fun, we had to make significant improvements to our robot model in Sim, domain randomization and other techniques which will directly transfer to more practical situations as well (robust walking, and agile full-body control in general).
“We also learned quite a few things on our hardware and tuned our power profile. I hope it is getting pretty clear that Tesla is much more than an amazing car (!) company: it’s the place to be for transformational real-world AI,” Kovac wrote in his post on X.
Cybertruck
Tesla Cybertruck police vehicles escort Trump motorcade in Qatar
The two Cybertrucks stood out in the motorcade, thanks to their iconic light bar and their imposing presence.

Two Tesla Cybertruck police vehicles accompanied United States President Donald Trump’s motorcade during his visit to Doha, Qatar’s capital, on Wednesday.
The two Tesla Cybertrucks stood out in the motorcade, thanks to their iconic light bar and their imposing presence.
Trump’s Qatar Visit
Qatar is the second of three Middle Eastern countries expected to be visited by Trump this week. So far, Trump has been received warmly, with Qatar providing Air Force One with an eight-fighter jet escort. Saudi Arabia, which hosted Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier this week, also provided Air Force One with a six-fighter jet escort.
Qatar seemed determined to roll out the red carpet for the U.S. President, as hinted at by the curated police escort for Trump’s motorcade to the Amiri Diwan in Doha. Tesla CEO Elon Musk seemed excited to see his vehicles being used in the Middle Eastern country, writing “Cybertrucks escorting @POTUS!” on X.
Cybertrucks Police Vehicles in Qatar
Qatar seems to have a soft spot for the Cybertruck, even before Trump’s visit. In late December, social media posts from the country suggested that two Cybertrucks are being used as part of the Internal Security Force’s (Lekhwiya) patrol fleet. The futuristic all-electric pickup trucks have also been spotted in several other areas of the country.
The Qatar Ministry of Interior also posted a video featuring veteran Tesla tuner Unplugged Performance CEO Ben Schaffer, who noted that UP.FIT will be providing modified Cybertrucks for the country. As could be seen in the video, Unplugged Performance and the Ministry of Interior have signed a Letter of Intent to pave the way for UP.FIT Cybertrucks to be made for Qatar.
News
Elon Musk teases underrated Cybercab and Optimus business
The Cybercab’s design does seem to be tailor-made for a parcel delivery business.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently responded positively to a rather underrated business idea for the Cybercab and Optimus.
While the Cybercab is designed for autonomous robotaxi services, the self-driving car, together with Optimus, could also operate as a completely different business.
Cybercab Haulers
Musk’s comment came as a response to financial markets researcher @alojoh, who noted in a post on X that the vast majority of Tesla’s Cybercab fleet will likely be inactive at night due to low transportation demand. During these periods, the robotaxis could be used as autonomous delivery vehicles that can be loaded by Optimus. The humanoid robot can even be inside the Caybercab to facilitate deliveries.
Elon Musk’s response was a simple “exactly,” but it does show that Tesla is considering other businesses that could expand the use of its two potential world-changing products. If one were to look at Tesla’s plans for the Cybercab and Optimus, after all, the idea of “dual use” robotaxis seems very feasible.
All The Necessary Parts
The Cybercab’s design does seem to be tailor-made for a parcel delivery business. The Cybercab is a small car and it only features two seats. It does, however, carry an extremely large trunk—quite too large for such a small vehicle, in a way. Tesla engineers previously stated that the space in the Cybercab’s trunk could be enough to fit two full-size carry-ons and two full-size checked bags at once, or even some bicycles. Needless to say, Tesla seems to have designed the Cybercab to be capable of carrying a lot of cargo–something that’s required for a parcel delivery business.
The Optimus robots that Tesla would have to deploy for this secondary business would not be much of an issue either, considering that the company is planning on building the humanoid robot in extremely large numbers. With Tesla producing millions of Optimus robots and Cybercabs every year, the company should be able to allocate enough resources to offer a reliable and safe parcel delivery service as well.
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