Hyundai's Elevate concept can climb a five-foot wall

Hyundai used CES 2019 as the backdrop to debut its Elevate walking car concept.    

According to Hyundai, the Elevate is capable of driving at highway speeds, but it can also allegedly climb a 5-foot wall, step over a 5-foot gap and have a track width up to 15 feet.      

While it's primarily designed to give first responders an additional edge in rescuing people, it can also be used to enhance mobility options for all sorts of citizens.     

So, it's basically an AT-AT from Star Wars that has, as Hyundai puts it, "both mammalian and reptilian walking gaits."       

The concept was born out of Hyundai's CRADLE robotics and artificial intelligence investment division.

While it does have traditional wheels on each corner, they're connected to the vehicle by way of mechanical "legs."     

For now, the automaker is exploring the wheel-leg hybrid at the 1/8th scale.

Each leg features 5 points of articulation and a wheel at the end with an in-wheel motor.

Those legs have multiple axes of articulation.

Since the electric motors that power the concept are in the wheels themselves, there are no powertrain linkages complicating matters.

The combination allows a variety of locomotion methods -- from rolling modes to walking or even running over rough terrain.

The pictures make it pretty obvious how this car gained the ability to move less like a vehicle and more like a creepy robot animal.    

It's wild.