Hyundai Motor Group held the 2025 Idea Festival final on the 22nd. The event, where employees make research and development (R&D) ideas into real prototypes and present them, first began in 2010 and marks its 16th year this year.
Outcomes from the event are sometimes applied to mass-produced vehicles. The "multifunction console," which won the grand prize in 2021, was installed in the fully redesigned fifth-generation Santa Fe launched two years later. The technology that helps people with visual impairments board buses, which won the grand prize in 2023, is undergoing a proof-of-concept test in collaboration with LG Uplus.
This year, six teams advanced to the finals to present their ideas and demonstrate them by applying them to actual vehicles. The grand prize went to the "Active omni Navigation Transporter" (ANT), a new mobility concept capable of omnidirectional driving without steering.
The excellence award went to the "FMV" team and the "SuperTrailerTowing" team, which showcased the Digilog Lock System, a storage space locking system, and Trailer Towing Preconditioning, a system that improves towing performance.
Also drawing attention were "D-belt," a vehicle control system that uses seat belts; "S.B.S," a detachable pad to ease anxiety symptoms in people with developmental disabilities; and "Snap Plate," a vehicle owner contact service based on license plates.
The grand prize-winning team received 10 million won in prize money and a chance to tour CES in Las Vegas, United States, in January next year. The excellence award-winning teams receive 5 million won and a tour opportunity at Hyundai Motor Group Singapore Global Innovation Center (HMGICS).
Baek Jeong-uk, executive director and head of Hyundai Motor and Kia research and development human resources, said, "The Idea Festival is a place where employees sprout the seeds of innovation," and added, "We plan to actively support more researchers so they can internalize their creative capabilities going forward."