번역 3월 마지막주

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Jeju to commercialize UAM for tourists by 2025

Jeju Province has unveiled its plan to commercialize urban air mobility, becoming the first provincial South Korean government to do so.

Under the plan, visitors to Jeju Province will be able to board a UAM or a drone taxi directly from the Jeju International Airport, enabling them to readily visit major touristic attraction sites. Additionally, they can switch to another drone taxi available near the sites for transfer to another area.

According to the information submitted to The Korea Herald, Jeju Province has devised three major routes connecting the airport with port cities and touristic sites. It has also added specifics including its plan to establish vertiports, take-off and landing areas for UAM, around resorts and hotels typically crowded with tourists.

The target year is 2025, aligning with South Korean government’s goal to commercialize UAM nationwide by that year.

As opposed to the capital region, Jeju Province is relatively free from regulations, making the plan more feasible for execution.

Currently, Seoul faces a host of obstacles in finalizing the routes due to regulations banning drones as the region houses Presidential Office and other governmental buildings. Additionally, major cities in the capital region as well as the areas surrounding the Han river are designated “no drone zone.”

Major firms have formed consortiums to finance the Jeju Province’s project. Currently about 6 consortiums have been launched.

Hyundai acquires US patents for quadraped vehicle

Hyundai Motor Group has acquired US patents for its quadruped automobile, according to industry sources on ~.

Hyundai and its sister company Kia have recently filed with the US patent office for patents and acquired a total of two patents in partnership as of July.6.

The patented technology first appeared in public eye when it was applied to “Elevate,” an automobile that was showcased at consumer electronics show in Las Vegas in 2019.  

The automobile, equipped with four legs, is designed to easily navigate on a diverse terrain. With its legs, it is able to move at 5km/hour and jump over 1.5 meters height wall in a straight mode. With its legs folded, the car enters driving mode, able to fully accelerate on the high way.

With the latest move, Hyundai Motor has reaffirmed its will to promptly secure a competitive edge in robotic mobility, a new growth engine.

 “Typically, the objective of patent application is to designate industrial boundaries to safeguard its rights before commercializing a technology,” said Kim Pil-su, a professor of future mobility at Daerim Univeristy. “Considering this, the latest move shows the future direction that Hyundai is headed to.”

“Through the acquirement of Boston Dynamics, the US based tech company, Hyundai has already secured the world class technology in robotic technologies. Going forward, I believe that Hyundai aims to further ramp up businesses combining robotic technologies and automobiles.”

Since establishing New Horizons Studio, a department dedicated to future mobility in 2020 Sep, Hyundai has been pouring resources into new growth enginges in future mobility.

To further enhance the R&d capacity of New Horizons studio, it has esbilished a new research lab in the US states of Montana.

“We are going to accelerate our advances into purpose-based vehicle,” said Jeong Hee-sun, Chiarman of Hyundai Motor Group earlier this year, reaffirming its will to bet big on future mobility.

Rather than fearing changes we have to always be forward looking and be step forward in leading future growth engines, transforming crisis into opportunities