The 6-minute video shows how the minicar uses Emotion Adaptive Vehicle Control (EAVC) technology to support young patients at the SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital in Spain as part of the "Little Big e-Motion" project.
EAVC is an artificial intelligence-based technology that optimises vehicle environment based on information from both inside and outside the vehicle.
Hyundai is leading the development of this next-generation technology, as part of an academic research collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab.
EAVC technology monitors facial expressions, heart rate and respiratory rate, and combines these readings with input from the vehicle including speed, acceleration, noise and vibration.
The technology then processes the data using machine learning to optimise the vehicle environment and actively controls vehicle systems such as lighting, climate, music and fragrance dispenser.
EVAC is at the heart of Hyundai’s "Little Big e-Motion" project.
Equipped with this technology, the mini EV – designed by the same team that oversaw the "45" concept – will be used to support the treatment of young patients at hospitals. Hyundai donated this one-of-a-kind EV to SJD hospital where it will be used to support the mobility of young patients from hospital bed to treatment room, which is considered one of the most stressful trips for the children.
“We want our technology to help improve the lives of our customers in various mobility spaces beyond the roads,” said Jinmo Lee, Senior Research Engineer at Hyundai who led the project. “We hope the EAVC technology on the minicar will provide a fun, safe mobility experience for young patients and help improve their health outcomes.”
The video follows a day of treatment for a young patient at SJD hospital. She is anxious about the treatment at first, but her new friend, the mini EV, soon works its magic to give her courage and make her feel more emotionally prepared for treatment.
Watch the video to see what happens.
