MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE government-owned tech company Kintsugi hogged the limelight on the opening day of the Unmanned Systems (UMEX) and Simulation and Training (SimTEX) exhibitions on Tuesday with its unveiling of Magnus, a locally made AI-powered military concept vehicle from its subsidiary Eneron.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi, the UMEX and SimTEX exhibitions run until January 25 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
The recently unveiled imposing six-seater 4X4 all-terrain vehicle, standing at a gross weight of 6,000kg, can be operated manually or autonomously.
It boasts a max payload capacity of 2,000kg, a 600kW (805HP) electric motor, and a top speed of 130kph as well as a maximum driving range of 800km for Hybrid mode, and 200km for 100% Electric mode.
Transformative Exterior Design
Rashed Al Mohtadi, Senior Business Development Manager at Kintsugi, noted that the hybrid tactical vehicle designed for reconnaissance adopts an unseen combination of “Cab-Forward” and “Fastback” architecture at the front and rear, respectively.
This distinguishes it from modern tactical mobility vehicles, which typically have a “two-box” architecture with a front volume to accommodate the engine, and a second volume containing the passenger and cargo space, Al Mohtadi told Aletihad in an interview on Tuesday.
He added that the recon vehicle offers enhanced protection through its “carefully selected” advanced composite materials, ensuring both ballistic and mine protection. Its autonomous capability and in-vehicle Conversational Virtual Assistant also contribute to enhancing the driving experience, along with improving situational awareness and safety, particularly in military scenarios.
Al Mohtadi also pointed out that through employing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the process from the initial design of the vehicle to the launch of the concept model was completed in a record period over the course of only three months.
Positioning UAE as a Global Leader in Artificial Intelligence
Al Mohtadi described Kintsugi as a “leading” tech company, dedicated to providing solutions designed to solve global issues and improve lives in the form of products and services for both public and private entities, “in line with the UAE’s strategic mission to be a leading nation in the field of AI”.
“Kintsugi is at the forefront of innovations and developing technologies that are key to advancing this mission, and we hold pride that all our products and services are developed and designed in the UAE,” he said.
An Enabling Environment for Innovation and Technology
Al Mohtadi believes that Kintsugi’s journey affirms that the UAE has created an “enabling” environment for innovation and technological advancements.
“Kintsugi has been around for almost a year and a half, and in that short period we managed to launch Eneron Magnus, a first-ofits-kind concept model vehicle… Our wise leadership has undoubtedly paved the road for this success,” he said.
According to a statement by the company made available to Aletihad, the much-anticipated unveiling of the concept vehicle’s prototype and production units are set to take place in 2025 and 2026, respectively.