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Automotive Technology
AUTOS: Nissan Unveils ‘Steer-By-Wire’
Steering system connected only with electronic controls that completely replace mechanical linkage set to roll out in 2013.
Nissan's steer-by-wire system includes a redundant mechanical linkage in case all three ECUs fail. (Image: Nissan)
Nissan has unveiled a lot of new technologies during the past week, including its Emergency Assist for Pedal Misapplication and Autonomous Emergency Steering System. Here's another one to report that will benefit drivers during their everyday travels, not just during emergencies.
It's called Independent Control Steering Technology, and it has allowed Nissan to eliminate the mechanical link between the steering wheel and the tires, replacing it with an electronic system. Many automakers already use electric power steering, but this technology – commonly referred to as "steer-by-wire" – is something very different.
Nissan's system relies on a series of three electronic control units, or ECUs, which serve as an intermediary between the steering wheel and the tires. According to Nissan, the ECUs transmit movement from the steering wheel much faster than conventional mechanical methods, making for a much-more responsive vehicle.
But while the driver can communicate quickly with the wheels, communication between the wheels and the driver is muted. For example, when you're driving across a rough patch of road in most vehicles, the bumps cause minute changes in the wheels' trajectory, which are transmitted to the steering wheel as a series of bumps and small twists.
In Nissan's new system, the ECUs pull double-duty, correcting for flaws in the road and more interestingly for drivers, blocking those vibrations from reaching the steering wheel. The effect should be more like driving a car in a video game, where the ride is usually smooth. In Nissan's words, this new technology results in "a steering wheel that doesn't fight back."
Nissan's ECUs are aided in their efforts by a camera situated atop the vehicle, which can help make minute changes to the wheel directions based on the vehicle's trajectory. This means less wobble from bumpy roads and even crosswinds, though obviously, the driver still has the ability to make turns and change lanes. That should make driving long stretches of highway a little less fatiguing.
If you're the type to worry about the safety of fully electronic systems, Nissan has you covered. The three ECUs offer some built-in redundancy: if one fails, the others take over. Should all three fail – a situation Nissan describes as "extreme" – there's a backup clutch that hooks up a mechanical steering column to allow the driver to control the vehicle in the good old-fashioned way.
Nissan says that this new technology will begin appearing on select Infiniti models within a year.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection.
It's called Independent Control Steering Technology, and it has allowed Nissan to eliminate the mechanical link between the steering wheel and the tires, replacing it with an electronic system. Many automakers already use electric power steering, but this technology – commonly referred to as "steer-by-wire" – is something very different.
Nissan's system relies on a series of three electronic control units, or ECUs, which serve as an intermediary between the steering wheel and the tires. According to Nissan, the ECUs transmit movement from the steering wheel much faster than conventional mechanical methods, making for a much-more responsive vehicle.
But while the driver can communicate quickly with the wheels, communication between the wheels and the driver is muted. For example, when you're driving across a rough patch of road in most vehicles, the bumps cause minute changes in the wheels' trajectory, which are transmitted to the steering wheel as a series of bumps and small twists.
In Nissan's new system, the ECUs pull double-duty, correcting for flaws in the road and more interestingly for drivers, blocking those vibrations from reaching the steering wheel. The effect should be more like driving a car in a video game, where the ride is usually smooth. In Nissan's words, this new technology results in "a steering wheel that doesn't fight back."
Nissan's ECUs are aided in their efforts by a camera situated atop the vehicle, which can help make minute changes to the wheel directions based on the vehicle's trajectory. This means less wobble from bumpy roads and even crosswinds, though obviously, the driver still has the ability to make turns and change lanes. That should make driving long stretches of highway a little less fatiguing.
If you're the type to worry about the safety of fully electronic systems, Nissan has you covered. The three ECUs offer some built-in redundancy: if one fails, the others take over. Should all three fail – a situation Nissan describes as "extreme" – there's a backup clutch that hooks up a mechanical steering column to allow the driver to control the vehicle in the good old-fashioned way.
Nissan says that this new technology will begin appearing on select Infiniti models within a year.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection.
The Lyonheart K
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