Four years after first showing its Mobile Eccentric Droid (MobED) concept, Hyundai’s Robotics LAB has now revealed the production version in Tokyo, Japan. The debut marks an important step in the company’s expansion into advanced robotics.

The compact platform has been engineered to be fully autonomous and uses advanced artificial intelligence that allows it to cruise over different surfaces and provide incredible adaptability for different use cases.

How Does It Move?

Central to MobED’s capability is its Eccentric Control Mechanism, a clever system that lets the robot adjust its posture and each wheel individually. The result is an uncanny steadiness, even when crossing inclined or uneven terrain.

Read: Like All Eccentrics, Hyundai’s New Mobile Eccentric Droid May Be Going Into The Film Business

For spatial awareness, Hyundai equipped the platform with a suite of advanced cameras and LiDAR sensors. An AI-driven obstacle detection system adds another layer of awareness, helping the robot navigate confined or crowded spaces without missing a beat.

Hyundai envisions it taking on various roles, from last-mile deliveries to logistics support, with minimal human intervention.

Two Flavors Of Droid

Hyundai has revealed two versions of the robot: the Basic and the Pro. The Basic measures 1,150 mm (45.2 inches) in length, 750 mm (29.5 inches) in width, and 430 mm (16.9 inches) in height. It weighs 78 kg (172 lbs) and can carry up to 57 kg (125 lbs).

The Pro variant stands a little taller at 650 mm (25.5 inches) and heavier at 88 kg (194 lbs), though its payload capacity drops slightly to 47 kg (104 lbs).

Where they diverge most is autonomy. The Pro comes equipped with Hyundai’s full self-driving system, while the Basic relies on manual operation via remote control.

What Keeps It Rolling?

Powering both versions is a small 1.47 kWh battery that provides up to 4 hours of operating time. However, compared to some of Hyundai’s EVs, the MobED charges slowly, needing 2.5 hours to juice up the battery from 10 to 90 percent.

Each robot also features universal mounting rails that make it easy to attach a variety of tools and modules. In the future, they could perform a range of important tasks in factories and warehouses, as well as crucial functions at production facilities, reducing the need for human labor.

Commercial sales of the MobED are expected to begin in the first half of 2026. Hyundai has yet to announce pricing, though it’s clear the company sees the robot as more than a novelty.

Most drivers think spilling a bottle of water in their car is annoying at worst. Maybe you get a damp carpet and some condensation on your windows. Maybe your floor mats start to smell like a gym bag.

What you probably do not expect is a repair bill that costs more than a used Honda Civic. But that’s exactly what happened to one Hyundai driver.

Related: Stop Sale Issued For Hyundai Ioniq 5 As Sonata Gas Tanks Risk Melting

Mike McCormick was driving his Ioniq 5 on the freeway in Florida when a traffic snarl-up ahead forced him to hit the brakes. That move sent a water bottle in one of the rear cupholders flying forward and eventually to the floor, where its contents found their way into some wiring harness connectors, though it’s not clear if the bottle’s cap was on, off or somewhere in between at the time.

Within a few minutes of the water bottle performing its base jump, McCormick noticed various warning lights come up on the dash. Then the turn signals stopped working and by the time he got home he couldn’t shut the car off.

How One Bottle Became a Bill

After inspecting the two-year-old EV, a Hyundai dealer told him the underfloor and under-seat wiring harnesses would both have to be replaced. Annoying, but how much could a few wires cost, right? The answer is a whole lot, as the bill ballooned to a crazy $11,882.08.

And according to the company, the damage was caused by an “external factor,” and not a factory defect, meaning McCormick was on the hook for the whole repair cost.

Okay, you’re thinking, go to plan B: insurance. He tried that too, and State Farm denied his claim, suggesting that its investigation showed the damage to the wiring harness had occurred over time, rather than as a result of the one water bottle spill. Talk about rock and a hard place.

Why So Fragile?

WFTV Channel 9’s report on the story highlighted the vulnerability of the Ioniq 5’s wiring harness below the Ioniq 5’s seat by referencing another owner who was left with a five figure bill for new harnesses after a dealer found his had frayed.

Also: Sure, You Can Replace Ioniq N Brakes, But Only With Hyundai’s $6K Tool Or A $2K Locked Workaround

And that’s not the only unexpected bill some of the EV drivers have come across. If you want to replace your own brake pads on the sporty Ioniq 5 N, maybe after a track day, you need access to special software and tools that can cost thousands of dollars. Some owners suggest cheaper unofficial workarounds, but those come with inherit risks, including the possibility of voiding your warranty or creating even costlier problems if anything goes wrong.

Do you think Hyundai or the insurance company should pay for the repairs to McCormick’s EV, or is it right that he’s being forced to foot the bill? Leave a comment and let us know.

Thanks to Marco for the tip!

Sources: WFTV 9