'This is truly impressive': Robots park EV3 in new viral Hyundai ad

Hyundai's promotional video for its Kia EV3 shows robots parking cars, blending real footage with CGI, gaining significant media attention and views.

A still from Hyundai Motor's YouTube video ″Ballet Parking: when robots dance to park your car″ uploaded on Oct. 4, 2024, to promote its automated parking machine technology [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

A Kia EV3 zips into a crowded parking lot like a race car, spins sharply and slips perfectly into an empty spot. Beneath it, a pair of parking robots emerges in sync with an upbeat waltz, twirling like dancers. One robot glides under a neighboring EV3, lifts it effortlessly and exits the lot.

This is a scene from Hyundai Motor Group’s promotional video titled “Ballet Parking: when robots dance to park your car.”

The video, featuring robots parking the EV3, has recently gained traction among global media outlets and influencers, Hyundai Motor Group said Sunday. Though the video was first released in October of last year, viewership has surged since April — seven months later — and continues to climb, the company said. Hyundai stated that the video has been shared by over 48 global media platforms, communities and social media channels, with combined views exceeding 5.8 million.

Reactions to the clip have included comments like “This is truly impressive technology” and “I can’t believe these tiny robots are moving cars.”

While the video appears to showcase fast and flawless robotic parking, a closer look reveals it’s merely based on real-life footage. The 40-second YouTube Shorts clip includes a brief “5x” marker at the beginning — indicating the parking sequence is shown at five times the actual speed. A small caption also appears: “This is a dramatized video and may differ from reality.”

So what’s real, and what was generated by AI?

Hyundai Motor Group does, in fact possess, the underlying robotic parking technology. In June last year, the company unveiled a commercialized version of its parking robot at the Factory Seoul building in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul. The device consists of two flat, rectangular robots that slide under a vehicle, securing the wheels and body using robotic arms and then transporting the vehicle freely.

These robots are currently used in vehicle manufacturing at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America and Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore.

A still from Hyundai Motor's YouTube video ″Ballet Parking: when robots dance to park your car″ uploaded on Oct. 4, 2024, to promote its automated parking machine technology [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

The parking lot shown in the video is also real. However, the spinning movements and the speed of the robots — including their dance-like twirls — were created using computer graphics and AI.

“By combining actual technologies and services with AI, we were able to enhance realism and engagement — which likely boosted the video’s promotional impact,” Hyundai said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY LEE SU-JEONG [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]