Steering Wheel Actuation for Hands-Off and Grip Force ADAS Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current steering wheel actuators in vehicle testing fail to accurately simulate a driver's hands being off the wheel and varying grip strength, impacting the reliability of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) testing by influencing the steering wheel's inertia and not providing sufficient resistance variations.
Innovation Solution
A selectively movable steering wheel actuator that can switch between engaged and disengaged configurations, allowing for accurate simulation of a driver's hands being off the wheel and varying grip strength by using a frictional force or rolling contact, with optional automated control for precise engagement and disengagement, and adaptable to different steering wheel shapes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a steering wheel actuator is used to control the steering wheel in vehicle testing, then the vehicle can be steered along a predetermined path, but the actuator influences the inertia of the steering wheel and cannot accurately simulate a driver's hands being off the wheel
Solution Approach 1:
The steering wheel actuator is designed with selective movability between engaged and disengaged configurations. This dynamic capability allows the actuator to transition from a fixed connected state to a movable disconnected state, enabling accurate simulation of driver hand positions while maintaining testing functionality. The actuator can be moved to a disengaged configuration where it is disconnected from the steering wheel, thereby eliminating its influence on steering wheel inertia and accurately modeling the scenario where driver hands are off the wheel.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator system introduces a controllable intermediary connection between the actuator and steering wheel. Through the selective engagement mechanism, the connection can be established or removed as needed. This intermediary approach allows the system to have the actuator connected when testing requires actuation, and disconnected when accurate inertia simulation is needed, resolving the contradiction between testing capability and measurement accuracy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the steering wheel actuator remains connected to the steering wheel during testing, then it can provide continuous actuation force, but it cannot simulate varying grip strength or hands-off conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator system implements dynamic engagement and disengagement capabilities, allowing it to adapt between different testing conditions. The actuator can be selectively moved to an engaged configuration for providing actuation force or to a disengaged configuration for simulating hands-off conditions. This dynamic adaptability enables the system to accurately model various driver behaviors including gripping strength variations and hands-off scenarios, while maintaining consistent and reliable testing conditions through controlled transitions.
3Measurement precision
If the steering wheel actuator is moved to a disengaged configuration, then it can accurately model driver hands being off the wheel, but it requires additional mechanisms for engagement and disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the connection between the actuator and steering wheel as a separable interface. The actuator can be completely disconnected from the steering wheel when in the disengaged configuration, removing any influence on steering wheel inertia. This extraction approach achieves high measurement precision for inertia simulation by ensuring no physical connection remains, while the engagement mechanism provides controlled access to this disengaged state.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the steering wheel actuator provides frictional force or rolling contact to simulate grip, then it can vary resistance to steering, but it increases the complexity of the actuation mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator system utilizes parameter changes in the form of frictional force or rolling contact to simulate varying grip strength. By adjusting the contact characteristics between the actuator and steering wheel, the system can modulate resistance to steering wheel rotation, accurately modeling different driver gripping forces. This parameter-based approach provides versatile grip simulation while avoiding the need for complex mechanical grip mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables realistic ADAS testing by accurately modeling a driver's absence and varying grip strength, improving the reliability and consistency of vehicle testing by minimizing the actuator's influence on the steering wheel's inertia and simulating different grip forces.
Implementation Method 1
using a frictional force or rolling contact
Implementation Method 2
using a frictional force or rolling contact
Data Source
AI summary
A steering wheel actuation device, for example in ADAS testing, is provided. The actuation device can include a steering wheel actuator to selectively move during testing between an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration. The actuation device can impart an actuation force to a vehicle steering wheel in the engaged configuration, and can vary the magnitude of the resistance it creates to the turning of the steering wheel during testing.