Ford Patent Tips Cars With Optional Steering Wheel/Pedals

Self-driving vehicles look inevitable now, just like the move to fully electric vehicles does. Simply transitioning from cars we drive to cars we don't requires overcoming a number of awkward hurdles. For example, what key features are removed from vehicles and when?

Ford is clearly thinking about these questions and coming up with answers. This is highlighted past a newly published patent the company filed describing a removable steering wheel and pedals meant for self-driving cars. The patent describes a system that allows both the steering wheel and the pedals to be fastened or removed using a serial of locking points.

Past designing such a organisation, Motor1 suggests Ford is preparing for 2 key scenarios. The outset is internal, and would let Ford to install a steering bike and pedals when testing out new self-driving tech in its cars. There's a chance those tests could go wrong, and so having a driver ready to take hold of the wheel and striking the brakes makes sense. When it's perfected, there'southward no need for further testing with a wheel/pedals present. In fact, they would probably take to exist removed for crash tests.

Ford Removable Steering Wheel Pedals Patent Diagrams

The second scenario is more interesting. We are going to reach a point where driving yourself or letting the machine do the driving is an option. Some individuals may want to proceed driving while others don't. Offering two versions of the same car to cater for this would be expensive. However, if you make the parts required for driving an optional extra, then only one auto model needs to exist offered and Ford can and so ask for a lilliputian extra cash in render for a "bulldoze yourself" option. Essentially, the steering cycle and pedals become an accessory only like the spare wheel: they are there in the car if you need them.

It seems like quite an obvious design when you really think well-nigh it, but there are a few details that need to be worked out. As well as a 100 percent reliable locking mechanism for the 2 removable parts, Ford needed to retrieve nearly airbag placement. For example, when the steering wheel is attached the airbag in the wheel needs to be active, simply when it's detached a second airbag present in the dash should be active instead.

I suspect nosotros'll see other cocky-driving motorcar patents appearing over the next few years. For example, forepart seats that swivel, new ways to block out the dominicus on all windows, and entertainment systems that use the whole interior of the motorcar are but a few examples I could think of.