[RahulNagaraj]

ZF has developed a new way to incorporate a touchscreen display and an airbag onto a steering wheel. The company's new 'Lifetec' steering wheel moves the airbag away from the centre to a spot just above it. In the event of a crash, the airbag is said to deploy between the space of the wheel rim and the hub.



By moving the airbag away, ZF has managed to free up space in the centre - allowing them to replace it with a screen. The removal of the airbag from the centre also allows the steering to be designed with a single horizontal spoke - giving it a "seamless, smartphone-like design". The screen on the steering wheel can be used to house controls for entertainment or driver-assistance functions.



ZF hasn't announced any customer for its Lifetec steering wheel yet. However, it could soon make its way onto production vehicles.

Source: Motortrend

Link to Team-BHP news

[one-77]

Does the screen remain static when the wheel turns?
If it turns with the wheel how can easily can the driver get information from it?

[Its_Arkk]

At this point they should replace the steering wheel with a fixed tablet and provide a steering icon (like in the video games on mobile) to steer the car so that ppl dont have to turn their heads sideways to see content while turning the car.

[sh3lby]

Great, even the steering controls are now at risk of being replaced by the ridiculous capacitive touch buttons, which are worse in every way but still being thrown at us by increasingly more manufacturers today

[sgmuser]

Sorry I'm lost with the static screen comments. Seriously? You want to look at the screen while turning the wheel? Hmm. For me this screen placement is non-sense as if there are no other places in the whole car. Safety is important over this stupid screen. Which is going to save lives?

[Its_Arkk]

Originally Posted by sgmuser

Sorry I'm lost with the static screen comments. Seriously? You want to look at the screen while turning the wheel? Hmm. For me this screen placement is non-sense as if there are no other places in the whole car. Safety is important over this stupid screen. Which is going to save lives?

I forgot to add the word 'sarcasm' in my comment.

[sgmuser]

Originally Posted by Its_Arkk

I forgot to add the word 'sarcasm' in my comment.

Oopsy...I over reacted.

ZF should strict to their core. Just gearboxes.

[cityslicker86]

These touchscreens are becoming a nuisance. Unless its a driver-less car, the fewer the distractions the better. I'm all for technology, but this is an over-kill.

Why not have an Augmented Reality display on the windscreen where navigation display merges with the real-world view of the driver. That way the driver doesn't have to take his/her eyes off the road.

Even now, the touchscreen in the centre with maps and music, can be distracting at times.

And please, for God's sake, leave the steering mounted buttons alone!

[vasanthsm]

Steering mounted buttons and their subtle backlights are one of the of main considerations in buying a car for me.

If its a combination of a screen and physical buttons, it will be interesting and has potential to do away with traditional speedo consoles.

[saikishor]

The Nexon facelift has a similarly designed steering wheel, albeit it does not have touch operated buttons. I might be wrong but I found the airbag positioning similar.

[RPRIME95]

Originally Posted by saikishor

The Nexon facelift has a similarly designed steering wheel, albeit it does not have touch operated buttons. I might be wrong but I found the airbag positioning similar.

Tata has a better solution in my opinion. The center part flips open when the airbag deploys to get out of the way. Which is better than opening the airbag from somewhere else which can cause more harm since one of the hands is likely to be there during the accident.

[Dreamlifter.07]

What’s next? Ohh, the windshield, why do one need a windshield when you can have a Sony Bravia 4K screen in front of you projecting live video from a cinematic camera placed above the car?

[Earthroamer]

This shows the saturation in terms of R&D in mechanical aspects of the vehicle. The only way the companies are looking to differentiate their newer models over the older ones is by adding more screens, apparently.

It is easy to add electronics and integrate some useless novelty feature through the software and demand a premium for it. Except the Japanese, everyone is taking this route. Even the car reviews these days are only about the number of screens and their respective sizes as opposed to suspension, brakes etc. As if we are not getting enough screen time in our daily activities, designers of these cars are believing consumers should be exposed to even more blue light.

[SchnelleKurven]

Originally Posted by Earthroamer

This shows the saturation in terms of R&D in mechanical aspects of the vehicle.

This is the era of Multi tasking , One can use this steering touchscreen to play solitaire / hearts / sudoku while driving along.