RE: Ditch the steering wheel: Speed Matters

[cholo]

Surely it will never happen without some major changes to the driving test?

[Rumblestripe]

The steering wheel was developed through the technology of the time. If you consider what we need to control - the angle of the front wheel(s) then the tiller was an obvious choice, a simple lever that directly changed the angle by moving from side to side the force required being amplified by the simple lever. There are obvious limitations though. 1 The throw required to move the wheel a certain angle got bigger with the length of the lever but the force input required increased the shorter it was. 2 The limitations of the maximum angle that can be achieved.

So the steering wheel was invented to allow better solution to this problem whilst still a (relatively) simple mechanical contraption and allowing humans of ordinary physical strength to steer a heavy vehicle. Now we have learned to drive using a steering wheel. That's what we know. But there is no reason that a car HAS to be steered with a wheel.

Perhaps the next generation will be more comfortable steering with a joystick or some other indirect method?

I can't see why not...

[chickensoup]

chrisjpartridge said:

Does the Austin Allegro count?!

Who does not love the Allegro

Stange how a (very) similar arrangement looks cool in an old range rover

[Stickyfinger]

Fly by wire............1988 style

Edited by Stickyfinger on Tuesday 22 August 09:15

[swisstoni]

I can just imagine Dan sitting in his car, tapping his teeth which his pencil and looking around.
"What the fk can I write about that hasn't been written about already?"
"Of course, it's staring me in the face!"