Hyundai's largest mobilization in World Cups unites almost 1,500 vehicles with four robotic dogs that will guard official locations of the 2026 World Cup
Hyundai has announced its largest logistical mobilization in history for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In addition to a fleet to transport delegations through the 16 host cities, the novelty of the South Korean manufacturer is the entry of four personalized robotic dogs, of the Spot model, to support the security and surveillance operations of the official venues of the tournament.
SEE ALSO:
As FIFA’s official robotics partner, the automaker will use the event as a showcase for its autonomous systems. The four-legged robots, manufactured by Boston Dynamics — a subsidiary of Hyundai since 2021 — will be based at the International Broadcasting Center (IBC) in Dallas and the New York-New Jersey Stadium.
Spot — the yellow quadruped that Boston Dynamics made famous in viral videos — will conduct detailed inspections, facility monitoring and continuous autonomous patrols. Hyundai points out that the technology dispenses with the breaks of real animals and has already been used in its factories for a few years.
Despite the prominence of robots, the bulk of the operation is in mobility across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The brand will put into circulation 994 passenger vehicles — including combustion and hybrid models — and 506 buses, about 1,500 units in total.
The fleet will carry out the daily transport of national teams, tournament officials and officials, press and operational teams. Among the cars provided is almost the entire global portfolio of the brand: Creta, Creta Grand, Tucson, Kona, Santa Fe, Palisade, Santa Cruz, Sonata, Elantra and the premium Genesis GV80.
Even so, it is likely that the fleet will work much harder than the robots. But when this World Cup is remembered, there is a good chance that the mechanical dogs patrolling stadiums will stay in the memory longer than the SUV that took the officials to the airport.
