Hyundai and RISD open seventh year of biodesign research with 'Motion Rewild' mobility theme
Hyundai Motor Group and Rhode Island School of Design are entering the seventh year of their joint Regeneration Studio, this time asking how nature moves through chaotic environments and what mobility technology can…
- 7th
- 2019
- 2
- 5 weeks
What Happened
Hyundai Motor Group and Rhode Island School of Design are continuing their multiyear research partnership, now in its seventh year, under the 2026–27 theme 'Motion Rewild.' The theme investigates adaptation in uncontrolled environments and using energy the way nature does, exploring motion across extreme environments. The collaboration brings together RISD faculty and staff members, student researchers, and designers from Hyundai, Genesis and Kia to study biomimicry and biodesign as a pathway toward innovative materials, products, manufacturing methods, services and experiences. The research platform was designed solely for Hyundai Motor Group in 2019 by RISD Academic and Creative Partnerships and the Nature Lab, and Hyundai designers provide feedback throughout the process.
The Regeneration Studio is led by an advanced scientific team in RISD's Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab together with studio faculty and experts from across RISD's networks, decoding natural environments, systems, processes and organisms to apply nature's principles to designs that are more circular and less harmful to the planet. This year the studio undertakes a pioneering study of physical AI mobility — robots operating in uncontrolled environments such as disaster sites, where mobility is needed most — taking cues from nature, described in the release as the oldest engineer. The two studio courses combine scientific rigor with creative inquiry, supported by RISD's Industrial Design department and the Nature Lab, and operate as an interdisciplinary workspace for students from multiple departments. Within that framework, faculty and students work with Hyundai Motor Group design engineers to decode nature's motion principles, design and build working forms, push further through prototyping, and validate findings within the mobility industry.
- A fall advanced biodesign for mobility studio course
- A second advanced studio course in the spring
- An extended summer research opportunity including two-week intensives
- A nine-day intensive on campus for teams of Hyundai Motor Group designers and engineers
- Five-week fellowships for select Fellows developing regenerative strategies and structural innovations in the Nature Lab
“Hyundai Motor Group has become a significant academic and creative collaborator, and we are pleased to continue this partnership. The Regeneration Studio is an incredible opportunity for RISD students, faculty, and staff to exchange knowledge and ideas with designers who are trusted international colleagues and thought partners. Applying principles that are present in the natural world and focus on sustainable explorations of AI will allow us to have another year of productive learning and discovery through this forward-looking relationship.”
“At a time when technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, our design begins with a deep understanding of people and nature. Nature has adapted to countless changes over time, accumulating its own solutions. We have made these natural principles the foundation of our design and technology, and I believe this is the essential asset that enables us to respond responsibly to any change.”
“Nature teaches us that enduring motion is not about overcoming every obstacle through force, but about adapting intelligently to changing conditions. By studying how living systems move through complexity and adapt to uncertainty, we uncover new principles for mobility. At the intersection of nature's ancient intelligence and emerging artificial intelligence, we see an opportunity for human creativity to shape technologies that are not only more resilient and responsive, but more responsible in how they serve people and help sustain the world we share.”
“As the years pass, RISD's relationship with the Hyundai Motor Group strengthens and our common vision expands in ways that respects each entity's identity and goals. We are heartened to see design explorations through nature's endless gifts serve to reinforce our ethos, move innovation forward at a rapid pace, and provide future-proof solutions at a large scale.”
Previously from Hyundai
Our earlier coverage shows Hyundai Motor keeping institution-anchored cultural partnerships running alongside its vehicle programs: on October 13, 2026, Hyundai Motor and Tate Modern opened the 11th Hyundai Commission, a multisensory sound installation by Tarek Atoui filling Tate Modern's Turbine Hall until April 11, 2027. Like the RISD Regeneration Studio, that is a recurring collaboration with a major cultural institution rather than a one-off project.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Hyundai's official releases.
Why this matters
'Motion Rewild' pairs Hyundai, Genesis and Kia designers with RISD faculty and student researchers to study how living systems move through uncontrolled environments, feeding findings into the group's research on future mobility, including robots for disaster sites. The work is research-stage: no product or purchase changes for buyers are announced. The direct participants are RISD students and faculty and the group's own designers and engineers.
Terms in This Story
- Biomimicry
- A design approach that copies structures, systems or strategies found in living organisms to solve engineering and design problems.
- Biodesign
- A design practice that draws on biological systems, organisms or natural processes to create products, materials and methods.
- Physical AI mobility
- Machines and robots that perceive and move through the physical world, including real, uncontrolled environments rather than structured settings.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.