Tesla Steer-by-Wire system patent application released.
Recently, Tesla patent application for Steer-by-wire system released.
Instead of having a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering rack, Steer-by-wire system can control lateral motion of the vehicle though an electrical connection including redundancy to reduce faults and avoid failures.
Here comes some of the benefits of Steer-by-Wire system.
l Steer-by-wire offers weight savings and paves the way for autonomous driving.
l We will have complete freedom to locate the steering wheel to suit any cabin design and driver position.
l Benefited by variable steering ratio, Steer-by-wire also leads to a smoother driving experience.
l If you go over bumps, you won't feel vibration in the steering wheel.
Despite the benefits, a Steer-by-wire system still needs to have redundancy, including a backup road wheel actuator, a backup power supply, and a backup communication network.
“Vehicle autonomy is 'main driver' of Tesla value.” CEO Elon Musk said.
Eventually, fully autonomous vehicles will need no steering wheel, which makes sense for Tesla to start building for the future by equipping future vehicles with a Steer-by-Wire design.
With this recent patent application, it sure appears like a Steer-by-Wire system could be a reality in the future.
