On June 10, German auto supplier ZF announced a new steering wheel called ZF Lifetec, which contains a screen to display information and interact with touch controls.
Through passive safety, the company has found a way to cram a screen into the steering wheel.
ZF Lifetec's design retains the airbag, but it's no longer located in the center of the steering wheel. Instead, the airbag inflates from the top rim.
The world's first steering wheel with a display introduced by German supplier ZF. Photo: ZF.
According to ZF, they did this to free up space in the center of the steering wheel, making it ready for a "smartphone-like interface."
The company is thinking of putting a central display or a multi-touch screen, it will be up to the automakers to decide what the control screen is.
Doing so gives automakers more freedom to design steering wheels without compromising safety.
The engineers explain that it doesn't necessarily have to be a full-screen layout as it could be a hybrid setup by combining a rotary switch with tactile surfaces.
The new location of the airbag and how it works on the ZF Lifetec steering wheel. Photo: ZF.
Having more space in the center of the steering wheel allows automakers to install additional sensors on cars equipped with semi-autonomous driving systems.
However, some people have raised the question of what would happen if the car were involved in an accident while the driver’s hands were at the 12 o’clock position, the top of the steering wheel. Would the airbag deploy and cause injury to the driver’s hands?
Some argue that engineers should focus on other areas rather than trying to reinvent the steering wheel. Adding more screens in front of the driver is not necessarily a good thing.
Source: https://xe.baogiaothong.vn/ra-mat-loai-vo-lang-gan-man-hinh-dau-tien-tren-the-gioi-192240612104905619.htm
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