Foldable Steering Wheel With Flexible Touchscreen for Adaptive Cockpits
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing presence of control components on the steering wheel, such as touch screens, leads to unnecessary space occupation and driver distraction during autonomous driving, and interference with manual driving operations.
Innovation Solution
A cockpit system with a foldable steering wheel and a flexible touch screen, controlled by a controller that adjusts their positions based on operational requirements determined by a camera and various recognition algorithms, enhancing convenience and space utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If control components such as touch screens are arranged on the steering wheel to meet operational requirements, then the operational functionality is improved, but the steering wheel occupies unnecessary interior space during autonomous driving
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wheel is designed with a foldable mechanism that allows it to dynamically change its state between extended and folded positions. This enables the steering wheel to adapt its volume based on operational needs: extended when manual control is required, and folded when autonomous driving is active, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining operational functionality and reducing interior space occupation
2Adaptability or versatility
If a touch screen is arranged on the steering wheel to provide control functions, then the operational requirements are met, but the screen causes driver distraction during manual driving
Solution Approach 1:
The touch screen is integrated with the foldable steering wheel mechanism, making it dynamic rather than static. When the steering wheel is folded during autonomous driving, the touch screen becomes inaccessible, automatically preventing driver distraction. When the steering wheel is extended for manual driving, the touch screen is positioned in a way that provides control functionality without causing distraction, as the driver's attention is naturally focused on the road through the steering wheel
Solution Approach 2:
The touch screen functionality is extracted from a fixed position and made contingent on the steering wheel's operational state. By coupling the touch screen's accessibility to the steering wheel's extended position, the system extracts the harmful distraction effect while preserving the useful control functionality when needed
3Volume of moving object
If the steering wheel is folded to reduce space occupation during autonomous driving, then interior space utilization is improved, but the steering wheel cannot be used for manual control
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a dynamic foldable steering wheel mechanism that can transition between folded and extended states based on the driving mode. During autonomous driving, the steering wheel folds to maximize interior space. When manual control is required, the steering wheel extends to its operational position, restoring full manual control capability. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between space utilization and control capability
Data Source
AI summary
A cockpit system for use in a vehicle is provided. The cockpit system includes a camera, a flexible touch screen, a steering wheel, and a controller. The camera provides a driving image. The flexible touch screen has a flexible mechanism to control a flexible state of the flexible touch screen. The steering wheel has a foldable mechanism to control a folding state and turning of the steering wheel, and the flexible touch screen is arranged on the steering wheel. The controller is coupled to the camera, the flexible touch screen, and the steering wheel, and the controller determines an operational requirement of a driver based on the driving image and controls the flexible mechanism and the foldable mechanism according to the operational requirement.