Ford is following other automakers in developing a steer-by-wire system, a recently discovered patent filing shows.
The filing in query was published by the USA Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Nov. 19, 2024, but was submitted by Ford just over two years earlier, on Nov. 14, 2022. But it surely deals not with steer-by-wire as an idea, but with a selected function for considered one of these systems.
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Steer-by-wire eliminates the physical connection between the steering wheel and the road, meaning there is not any inherent resistance on the wheel when the vehicle is parked, Ford notes in the applying. That could possibly be an issue for drivers who use the steering wheel as a grab handle when getting out and in of the automobile, as it will just turn freely.
As described within the patent filing, Ford’s solution is to make use of sensors to find out when a driver is about to enter or exit the vehicle, which might signal an actuator to apply torque to the steering wheel to carry it in position in case the driving force wants to make use of it as a handle.
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After being introduced by Infiniti in 2013 on the Q50 sedan, steer-by-wire technology has progressively received more interest from automakers. Toyota has developed its own system, which is currently utilized in the Lexus RZ electric crossover in markets outside the U.S., together with a steering yoke. A 2023 patent filing hinted that Toyota was considering bringing this method to the U.S. as well.
The Tesla Cybertruck also uses steer-by-wire, and Apple filed a patent application for a system of its own in 2019, as a part of the tech giant’s now-defunct EV project.
This Article First Appeared At www.motorauthority.com
