Hyundai Kia Wearable Robot Wins Red Dot Design Award

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Hyundai and Kia Motors' industrial wearable robot 'VEX' won the Innovation Product Award at the 2020 Red Dot Award hosted by the North Rhine-Westphalia Design Center in Germany on the 31st. Kia's European strategic model 'XCeed' received the honor in the Automobile & Motorcycle category.

Started in 1955, the Red Dot Award is one of the world's top three design awards, along with the iF and IDEA design awards, and is highly prestigious. In particular, the product design category selects the best designs through comprehensive evaluations by international experts across 49 industrial sectors.

This year, a new Innovation Product category was established to select products that apply creative ideas, innovative materials, or operating methods across all industrial sectors.

Hyundai Kia Wearable Robot VEX

Hyundai Kia Motors' vest-type exoskeleton wearable robot 'VEX', selected as an Innovation Product, was developed to reduce musculoskeletal disorders and improve work efficiency for workers who raise their arms upward for long periods in industrial sites. Considering the characteristics of the field, it was designed to operate without the need for electrical power supply, and its light weight of 2.8kg reduces the burden of wearing. The musculoskeletal compensation device, which mimics the human shoulder joint structure, assists with up to 5.5 kg·f of force.

Hyundong Jin, Head of Robotics Lab at Hyundai Kia Motors, said, "Through this award, both the usability and aesthetic excellence of VEX have been recognized," adding, "We will continue to develop robots applicable in various fields so that people can live safer and more convenient lives."

Kia's 'XCeed', which won in the Automobile & Motorcycle category, is a European strategic compact crossover utility model based on the 'Ceed' hatchback. Launched in the European market in the second half of last year, it has captured European consumers' hearts with a design that combines dynamism and practicality.

With this award, Kia has the honor of all its models winning the Red Dot Design Award, from last year's Ceed (5-door hatchback), Ceed Sportswagon (wagon), and ProCeed (fastback) models to the 'XCeed'.

Kia Motors XCeed

Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Design Center, said, "Kia has strived not only for continuous quality improvement but also to provide more attractive and exciting customer experiences," adding, "We feel immense pride that our efforts have been recognized by customers worldwide."

The XCeed was also selected as a winner in the Transportation Design category of the 2020 iF Design Award (International Forum Design Award) announced last February, following the three Ceed models' awards last year, marking all models' recognition in product design.