Why Drive-By-Wire Will Become Child’s PlayBy Bill Cannon,
Editor-in-ChiefIf you have a ten-year-old boy or
girl who loves to play video games and uses a joystick to
control the action, your child may actually be practicing for
his or her first driving lesson as well. If the most advanced
engineering types have their way, we'll all be cruising around
without steering wheels in the not-too-distant
future.This is only one aspect of
drive-by-wire systems, of course. Military and commercial jets
already have replaced the mechanical linkages between
throttle, steering and braking controls and the systems they
activate in some applications. The benefits in automobiles are
nearly too numerous to list. Lighter weight, far less wiring
harness bulk, more precise engine control for better emissions
numbers are a few, not to mention eliminating the steering
column linkage which can push the steering column up into a
hapless motorist's chest in a crash.Of course, as I mentioned above,
why not go one step further. As you can see by the photo, the
Mercedes SL Roadster concept vehicle eliminates the steering
wheel altogether, and has a joystick on either side of the
driver. The one on the center console controls acceleration
and steering. The one on the left armrest controls the brakes.
Even signaling and horn activation are done with buttons on
the joysticks.For those worried about the safety
of these systems (note that an article recently appeared in
PC Magazine entitled: "Drive by Wire? The Car of Doom",
another article in SKF Vehicle Service Market's magazine,
Evolution, noted that, "all of the systems designed so
far have the electrical equivalent (or better) of the
hydraulic dual circuit and a backup against total power
failure.The article then discusses
steering-by-wire and why it is even more of a "Holy Grail"
than the accomplishments of the other systems. With a separate
electric motor at each wheel, "perfect Ackermann geometry
could be maintained throughout the steering range . . ,." with
steer-by-wire, the article states.So, as you can see, this is a
technology that is too good to be held back by safety
concerns. After all, if we were all that distrustful of
technology, we would hardly fit our cars with electric
windows, which can trap us in the car, or agree to start our
cars with remote controls!Drive-by-wire is as inevitable as
every other true advance in automotive technology. You'll
already find drive-by-wire throttle control on the C5
Corvette, Acura NSX and Toyota Tundra, to name
several.One of the most interesting facts
is that many of these systems "test their wings" in the
military, the last place you would think we could take
chances. Yet the need for lighter, faster, more responsive
vehicles, both on the ground and in the air, fuel the fever
for innovation there; the racetrack is not the only test bed
we have for cutting-edge technology.So, as long as your kids are going
to play computer games with joysticks, you may as well
encourage them to get really good at it. It's a skill that may
come in handy to the average driver within the
decade.
