[RahulNagaraj]

General Motors has revealed a new steering wheel concept. The company's design studio took to social media to unveil their radically-designed steering wheel concept, which could easily pass off as a hand-held gaming console.



The interesting-looking steering wheel concept is almost rectangular in shape and features a large screen at the centre, showcasing various information. The steering wheel also seems to feature touch-sensitive controls on either side of the screen. There also seems to be 'human' and 'autonomous' drive modes, indicating that the steering wheel is aimed at the autonomous vehicles of the future. The ends of the steering wheel are leather-wrapped, while also featuring LED lights.



While this steering wheel concept is highly unlikely to ever go past the drawing board, it is interesting to see the direction in which the industry could be heading, especially when it comes to autonomous vehicles of the future.

Source: Instagram

Link to Team-BHP news

[saikarthik]

With current crash regulations, it's impossible to have glass on steering wheel. But a cool concept, yet very less contact area for hands on the wheel for "Human drive".

[saisree]

Isn’t there a lot of distraction in the steering wheel with so many touch enabled controls? Zero. Expectation on this coming to the mainstream cars.

[lemedico]

where does the airbag go then?

[octane_100]

Seems to have been inspired by hand held gaming consoles! Means very little without knowing how and where this will be mounted. How will the airbags work, so on and so forth.

The steering wheel was probably the only thing without a screen till now and that also has fallen!!

The biggest @#$% up is the ergonomics. How is one supposed to steer with this?

[PrideRed]

I stared at the picture for almost 10 min to see where the steering wheel is. So there digital cockpit, display on steering, fully touch head unit, Screens for rear passengers, what next- replace windscreen with 100 inch TV? I hope GM is planning to sell car and not a mobile TV showroom.

[Kingston]

Wait! So you have a HUD to make sure the driver gets important information in his/her line of sight and then you have this that wants you to take your eyes off the road and look down at your steering for info/interaction. Don't see this going anywhere.

[.HEM]

To me this looks like an XL version of a Nintendo Switch
GM can build simulators for the newbies to learn driving and install this steering wheel and give a WOW moment for the new driver. We may be proved old school when we get these steering in one of our cars in 2030.

With all companies planning their future in EV lets hope that GM may come with this steering to India in one of their futuristic EV

[Turbojc]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

General Motors has revealed a new steering wheel concept. The company's design studio took to social media to unveil their radically-designed steering wheel concept, which could easily pass off as a hand-held gaming console..

The way the bottom and right side fade out makes me think that this was designed to fit in the centre of a steering wheel. There is no way one could execute a three-point turn, let alone quick evasive manoeuvres, with this.

[abhijet.sen]

On the contrary to popular assumption, I reckon that it is just a part of steering wheel (maybe they are not releasing the complete details but I may well be wrong). Per my assumption, they have only shown the central part of the steering wheel and remaining usual circular wheel will still be there and this video game controller sits in the middle replacing existing company logo area and even all the control of cruise/media etc. It will be tricky but not impossible to come out with air-bags design for this.

I do agree that it is a big distraction by placing another screen and that too a touch screen. What happens is driver accidentally changes it to Human mode from Automatic while one is not prepared for it.

[callmeneo]

Cool Concept .

But even if this is a part of the steering wheel , its a huge distraction with that display in the center. As many of you said ,looks like a blown up Nintendo Switch. Also would have to be very careful so as not to touch the screen accidently.

Hope they don't go to joystick next.

[RedTerrano]

Is it "cool"?
Probably. I am too old to appreciate the gamer console thingie.

Is it practical? Or safe?
I don't think so.
Time and again it has been proven, that eyes on the road means lesser chance of accidents. With this design, the driver will be forced to look down even further than the standard current odometer position.

Instead of this, I would rather manufacturers invest in HUD.

[sramanat]

My 2 cents after driving the current gen Honda City for about 10 days now -
1. My muscle memory developed over just 1.5 years of driving Ecosport has me turning wipers on while turning and windshield water jet while flicking high beam.
2. I find it easier to make phone calls from my phone than through the car's Android Auto.
3. After driving cars with simpler dashboards for 20 years, I find it difficult to see the information that I'm looking for in the instrument cluster.

All this on a car with fairly basic and functional dashboard design by modern standards. I will be around 50 when this steering wheel hits the mass market, if it ever does. My senses will be dulled even more by then. So, NO!

If they do bring this to the mass market through some government regulation, I plead the governments to re-issue licenses. Sort of like how pilots have an "instrument rating" process - if you have it you can fly by looking at the instrument cluster. If you don't have it, you see the sky, horizon, the runway and land.

[JoshMachine]

What next? An iPAD?

Or even better, a F1 steering wheel!?

Yeah, like this one:-



Alas, with some small caveats

So if were to start for my office on a Monday morning, here's what I will need to do:-
* press 11 - race start (ok watchman, please open the automatic boom barrier)
* press 12- switch on radio (wifey calling "Don't forget to call up the plumber in the evening" )
* press 17 - shift paddles (trying to maneuver around the buffaloes)
* press 6 - differential (change from service road to truck road using the torque converter change from rear wheels)
* press 7 - engine braking (just 50 metres drive on the road and you hit them brakes, all of them - engine brakes + main brakes + parking brake - there's a huge pileup of cars upfront, courtesy some pothole filling on one side of the road)
* press 8 - brake balance (inspired from above button 7, all other conditions remain unchanged)

And I haven't yet "pressed" other buttons on the steering wheel.

'nough said.

Thank you General Motors.

[tilt]

A very quick follow-on effect of this idea would be many many people in India (maybe cabbies in particular and some people attracted to bling-bling) would stick an Android tablet in the middle of their steering wheels to watch movies and YouTube videos while on the move

Cheers