At a time when many brands are focused on the challenges inherent in electrification and autonomous driving, a recently released Volvo patent appears to solve the “problem” of storing the steering wheel while the car drives itself.
Despite having been filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office in early 2019, the patent only became known in late September and presents us with Volvo's vision for the “flywheels of the future”.
According to Volvo's patent drawings, the plan is to create a steering wheel that slides to the right and to the left, and can even be placed in the central area of the dashboard, as in the iconic McLaren F1.
To the left…
In this system, the steering wheel “slides” through a rail and transmits the driver's inputs through a by-wire system, that is, without a physical connection to the wheels.
For autonomous cars but not only
The idea behind this Volvo patent will be, in principle, to create a system that allows (without great cost) to make the steering wheel “disappear” from the driver's front when the car is driving in autonomous mode. A solution that will most likely be more economical than the retractable steering wheels present in most prototypes.Subscribe to our newsletter
However, this solution has another added value. By allowing the steering wheel to move from right to left, it will allow a considerable reduction in production costs, making a car to be sold in countries where it travels on the right or left without any changes. Having said that, we would not be surprised if this technology reached “conventional” models.
What about the pedals and the instrument panel?
As for the instrument panel, Volvo has two solutions: the first is a display that “travels” with the steering wheel; the second involves the integration of a digital screen throughout the dashboard that then transmits data relating to driving behind the wheel.
The pedals, on the other hand, would work, like the steering, through a by-wire system, but the most interesting thing is the solution that Volvo found to have pedals on the right and left sides of the car.
Apparently, the idea presented in the Volvo patent involves replacing the pedals with “touch sensitive pads” actuated hydraulically or pneumatically. Placed on the floor, these will only respond to pressure after sensors detect that they are aligned with the steering wheel.
Will you see the light of day?
Although the system presented in the Volvo patent allows for a considerable reduction in costs and even allows for a better use of the interior space, it may "bump" with the always rigid safety standards, mainly because the direction uses a by- wire.
Back in 2014 Infiniti presented an identical solution for the Q50 and although the system does not need a physical steering column, the truth is that it was forced to install one (when operating the steering column is automatically uncoupled), due to, above all, to the existing regulations, in addition to serving as a safety reservation.
A caveat that was validated when in 2016 the Japanese brand was forced to carry out a recall to correct the by-wire steering system that sometimes did not work perfectly right after starting the car.
Will it be that with the increasingly closer arrival of autonomous cars and the constant technological evolution, will Volvo be able to see this system being approved without reluctance on the part of lawmakers? Only time will tell us.