Designing the Spaces and Experiences of Future Mobility Through Technology

 

Hyundai Transys Triumphs with Three Wins at the 2025 Red Dot Design Awards

 

 

 

Hyundai Transys has earned the distinction of winning three major honors at the Red Dot Design Awards, one of the world’s top three design competitions. Following the announcement of the results in July, the Hyundai Transys researchers who contributed to the award-winning projects attended the “Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2025” ceremony held in Singapore on October 15, sharing in the proud moment together.

 

The three award-winning designs are the Modular Seat for PBV, the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Cabin Concept, and the Ergonomic Recliner Chair Design. Each was highly acclaimed for setting new standards in future mobility spaces and for delivering a human-centered mobility experience that seamlessly integrates technology and design.

 

Modular Seats Optimized for PBV

 

Switch Mobility Seat

 

 

A defining feature of Purpose-Built Vehicles(PBVs) is their ability to flexibly transform to serve a wide range of functions within a single vehicle. Hyundai Transys’s modular seat system was developed precisely to address this

characteristic. It employs a modular design approach that allows the seat configuration to be easily adjusted, enabling efficient use of space tailored to each user’s specific needs. At this year’s Red Dot Awards, the harmonious balance of practicality and sustainability embodied in this modular structure received high acclaim.

“Designed to adapt seamlessly to diverse mobility needs, offering multiple configurations that enhance accessibility, convenience, and efficiency.”

 

 

Conventional seats, built on fixed frames, often face limitations in space utilization when passenger numbers, cargo loads, or travel purposes change. In contrast, the modular seat features a structure in which each component—such as the headrest, armrest, and cushion—can be individually detached and replaced, allowing the vehicle’s 

interior to be effortlessly reconfigured. For example, during the day, the seats can be folded or removed to create a larger cargo space for deliveries, and in the evening, they can be restored to their original layout for passenger transport. In this way, a single vehicle can flexibly serve multiple functions.

The frame is made of lightweight yet durable materials, making it easy to adjust space when accommodating wheelchairs or strollers. Its slim, rotatable seat structure enables smooth movement between passengers, even within a compact cabin. In addition, a recyclable single thermoplastic material was used to realize a circular design that minimizes environmental impact throughout the product’s entire life cycle.

The modular seat represents more than just a change in configuration — it signifies a technological milestone that enables flexible use of space tailored to the evolving purposes of mobility.

 

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UAM Cabin Concept: A Spatial Solution for the Future of Urban Air Mobility

Universal Cabin Space of Urban Air Mobility

 

The UAM Cabin Concept is an interior space solution designed to meet the unique characteristics of Urban Air Mobility (UAM), combining an ultra-lightweight seat structure with sustainable materials. It features a layout optimized for compact spaces, lightweight components, and a passenger-focused design. The Red Dot Design Award recognized it for its harmonious balance of efficiency, comfort, and flexibility.

“Introduces a future-ready interior solution
that balances efficiency, comfort, and flexibility.” 

 

   

The UAM Cabin Concept maximizes spatial efficiency, accommodating various needs such as luggage storage and wheelchair access even within a limited cabin area. It includes both standalone and bench-type seat structures, enhanced with a “tip-up” function that allows seat cushions to fold upward —merging flexibility with inclusivity. The slim seats, integrated with the cabin’s outer structure, replace traditional foam cushions with high-elasticity mesh material to reduce weight, while the armrests feature a 3D-printed lattice structure made from recycled aluminum.

In addition, the cabin is equipped with built-in safety systems for emergency landings and fire prevention, along with smart glass technology that displays real-time flight information —all thoughtfully designed to ensure a safe and

reassuring passenger experience.

Through this concept, Hyundai Transys brings the vision of the urban air mobility era one step closer to reality,

 offering an innovative and human-centered mobility experience.

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Recliner Chair: Bringing Automotive Seat Technology into Everyday Life

Mound Chair

 

The Recliner Chair extends Hyundai Transys’s advanced automotive seat ergonomics into the realm of everyday

furniture design. This award-winning piece was highly acclaimed for translating the precision and sophistication

 of automotive seating into daily life, achieving exceptional completeness in both functionality and aesthetics.

“Incorporates the DNA of automotive seat technology into the everyday reclining chair, balancing function and aesthetics.”

 

 

Combining plush velvet upholstery with a minimalist form, the Recliner Chair offers a new dimension of comfort — as if the ease and relaxation of a car interior have been seamlessly extended into the living room. Its cushion structure mirrors the foam density of automotive seats, evenly distributing body pressure and maximizing comfort through its soft, flexible, rounded silhouette. This design is the result of meticulous analysis of body weight distribution and seating posture to achieve optimal ergonomic support.

A proud centerpiece of Hyundai Transys’s design innovation, the Recliner Chair transcends the boundaries between technology and design, opening new possibilities for bringing automotive seating expertise into everyday life.

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Collaboration That Blurs the Boundaries between Technology and Design

 

By exploring the collaborative process and the perspectives of the researchers behind each innovation, valuable insights can be gained into the future direction of mobility design pursued by Hyundai Transys.

 

 

 

Jaehyun Seo, Senior Designer

Seat Design Team | Lead Designer for PBV and Recliner Chair Design

Winning one of the world’s top three design awards carries great significance, as it demonstrates that Hyundai Transys’s design and technological excellence are being recognized on the global stage. The PBV embodies our vision for future mobility, while the Recliner Chair illustrates how our seat technology and design capabilities can extend beyond the automotive industry into entirely new domains.

What stands out most to me is the experience of leading the design direction, coordinating across departments, and realizing both the structure and form of the two projects — all of which contributed to elevating the overall completeness of each concept. Through close collaboration with the engineering team, we achieved a true fusion of technology and design. This award is especially meaningful, as it represents external recognition of that synergy. It was also a great honor to attend the ceremony alongside the engineers who worked on the project. I hope this project will serve as a valuable foundation for future PBV seat development.

 

 

Wonyoung Lee, Senior Research Engineer

Seat Mobility Engineering Team | Responsible for PBV Seat Frame and Structural Design

As a design engineer, I was thrilled to hear about our design award win. At the same time, I felt a bit hesitant, wondering whether it was right for me to share in the honor since I wasn’t directly involved in the design work itself. However, encouraged by the design team’s words — “A good design is built on a solid foundation of engineering” — I decided to attend. Through this experience, I came to truly appreciate that structural design plays an essential role as the backbone of great design.

The PBV concept seat is the result of close collaboration between the design and engineering teams. During the frame design process in particular, we held numerous discussions and made countless adjustments to bring the design team’s ideas to life while ensuring compliance with regulations, safety standards, and ride comfort requirements. What impressed me most was how every department worked together toward a single shared goal. Moving forward, I plan to approach future projects with even greater flexibility and collaboration with the design team.

Yeonsu Park, Designer

Seat Design Team | Responsible for PBV Seat CMF and Sustainable Material Development

It is truly meaningful to receive this award under the name of Hyundai Transys at one of the world’s top three design competitions — a goal I have aspired to achieve since my school days. Attending the ceremony and seeing the works of designers from around the world firsthand was deeply inspiring and broadened my perspective as a designer.

Looking back on the production process, the experience of developing and applying a new TPU material to the headrest and armrest will serve as a valuable reference for future projects. It was a bold attempt to push beyond the limits of existing materials and explore new possibilities. Although the process of bringing this vision to life was not easy, it was an immensely rewarding experience. Moving forward, I hope to continue pursuing user-centered values and 

sustainable design, creating competitive, world-class results on the global stage.

Kyungho Kim, Designer

Seat Design Team | Responsible for PBV and Recliner Chair Design and Prototype Development

It was deeply meaningful to receive the Red Dot Design Award — a dream I had long held as a designer — together with my colleagues. I’m proud that Hyundai Transys’s seat technology and design have been recognized on the global stage. In particular, the Recliner Chair Concept, which won in the commercial furniture category, demonstrates our competitiveness not only within the automotive industry but also across entirely new domains.

I’m grateful that our efforts to balance technical structure and user experience through sketches, 3D modeling, and prototype production were acknowledged. This experience reminded me once again that design should go beyond external aesthetics to encompass both technical precision and user experience.

 

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The awards reflect the collective efforts of multiple departments — not only design, but also engineering, R&D, and materials. As highlighted through the researchers’ insights, Hyundai Transys’s projects were highly acclaimed for achieving a harmonious integration of technology and design by incorporating structural engineering and user experience considerations from the earliest stages of development.

Looking ahead, Hyundai Transys will continue to create innovative mobility experiences that define the era of future mobility through design innovation that seamlessly harmonizes technology and emotion.