Deployable Steering Wheel Control for Autonomous Vehicle Living Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous driving vehicles at Level 6 require a steering wheel in certain regions, reducing living space and risking legal violations when transitioning between regions, and occupants who are not intended to drive may extend travel time, compromising safety.
Innovation Solution
A control system that houses a steering wheel on a seat's side surface, deploying it outside as needed, and limits travel time for occupants who are not intended to drive, ensuring compliance with regional regulations and enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a steering wheel is permanently installed in an autonomous driving vehicle, then the vehicle complies with regional regulations requiring steering wheels, but the living space inside the vehicle is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wheel is designed to be movable between a stored state (inside the seat or console) and a deployed state (outside the seat). The system dynamically adjusts the steering wheel's position based on whether manual driving is required, allowing the vehicle to comply with regulations when needed while maximizing living space during autonomous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The steering wheel is nested within the seat structure or console when not in use. The housing unit integrates the steering wheel into the existing vehicle interior components, allowing it to be stored compactly within the seat assembly and deployed outward when required, effectively utilizing existing structural space
2Adaptability or versatility
If the steering wheel is moved outside the seat, then the vehicle can operate in regions requiring steering wheels, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable steering wheel mechanism serves multiple functions: it acts as a structural support element for the seat, provides a storage compartment for the steering wheel, and enables deployment when needed. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The steering wheel mechanism is integrated with the seat's existing structural components, allowing the seat framework to support the steering wheel housing and deployment mechanism. This self-supporting approach reduces the need for additional structural elements, limiting the increase in overall device complexity
3Ease of operation
If travel time is not limited for occupants who are not intended to drive, then the occupants have freedom to travel, but safety is compromised due to extended travel time
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the occupant's identity and driving authorization status. When an unauthorized occupant is detected, the travel time limit function activates and provides feedback through notifications or warnings. The system tracks elapsed travel time and automatically enforces the limit, creating a closed-loop safety mechanism that balances freedom with security
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-establishes travel time limits for unauthorized occupants before the journey begins. By setting these limits in advance and automatically enforcing them during travel, the system prevents potential safety issues from arising, rather than reacting to them after they occur
Data Source
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AI summary
A control system mounted on an autonomous driving vehicle includes a control unit that moves a steering wheel housed in a seat of the autonomous driving vehicle to an outside of the seat of the autonomous driving vehicle in a case in which a position of the autonomous driving vehicle has entered a region where equipment of a steering wheel is necessary from an outside of the region.