Hyundai Motor Group has established a new division dedicated to the development of urban aviation mobility technology and related business and recruited one of NASAs top managers as its vice president. The South Korea’s largest auto group said on Monday it has opened the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Division committed to research and development of flying car technology and related transportation systems and hired Dr. Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for NASA`s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate to head the division.
Shin will focus on Hyundai’s preemptive entry into the urban aviation mobility market based on his 30 years of experience and expertise as a specialist in future aviation research and safety at NASA.
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UAM will first define its overall roadmap for the carmaker’s early entry into the urban aviation mobility market and focus on developing core technologies such as body design, flight control software and safety technology for a flying car.
Dr. Jaiwon Shin Shin, an expert in the field of aviation safety and air traffic control technology, is expected to approach the market with a comprehensive transportation system perspective that encompasses aviation infrastructure and air traffic control systems.
Hyundai Motor Group also aims to create synergy by utilizing its core technologies for automobile manufacturing such as batteries, motors, lightweight materials, and autonomous driving in the UAM business.
A high-performance drone from U.S. drone startup Top Flight invested by Hyundai Motor last November.
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By GlobalDataThe urban aviation mobility market is projected to grow to $1.5 trillion in the next 20 years, Shin said, adding the UAM division will lead the industry through the development of aircraft and core technologies.
Shin joined NASAs Glenn Research Center in 1989 and became the first Asian who took the agency top position for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) in 2008, responsible for managing its aeronautics research portfolio and guiding its strategic direction, including research in advanced air vehicle concepts, airspace operations and safety, integrated aviation systems, and the nurturing and development of transformative concepts for aviation.
