Drive By Wire: It's A Question Of Faith
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday November 20, 1998
When the systems which control aircraft appear in cars in the next few years, drivers will steer and brake electronically.
Would you trust your life to a series of electronic pulses travelling down a copper wire? Would you be happy to steer or brake knowing there was no mechanical connection between you and the wheels?
When you catch a plane you make a similar leap of faith - fly-by-wire is all the rage in aviation, where it is valued for cutting weight and giving more precise control and easier integration with other electronic systems.
And it's coming to a car near you.
The massive Delphi Automotive Systems company is now on a technology road show, demonstrating to Australian car makers an array of new systems it is proposing for their next-generation models.
Some of these, such as a stability control system which can individually brake the wheels to correct understeer or oversteer, are available on several production vehicles (even if Delphi claims its system is cheaper, smarter or better).
But fly-by-wire - or drive-by-wire if you prefer - is something yet to be seen on the road. And a remarkable concept it is, too.
Remote control steering is still at least 10 years away (depending on buyer and legislative acceptance) but brake-by-wire could be here much earlier.
Delphi's Galileo intelligent brake control system is a black box combining power assistance, anti-lock functions, traction control and adjustable pedal feel.
This module - wired to the pedal - provides the braking power and simulates normal pedal feel, and uses a compact emergency-only hydraulic system for a failsafe back-up.
According to Delphi's Doug Keesing, the system can automatically compensate for variables such as vehicle loading and brake pad wear. And the concept won't terrify drivers.
"They won't even notice it," he says. "Even when we turn it onto failsafe mode for demonstration it just feels like a heavier-than-normal brake pedal."
Among its other advantages is the lack of pedal "pulsing" when the anti-lock brakes system is operating. "I find that much more comfortable," says Keesing.
Other functions such as accelerator control can be handled in a similarly remote manner. Keesing admits, however, that it could be a lot harder to sell the concept of steer-by-wire.
"The failsafe assurance is the problem. Current legislation requires a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and road wheels, so I can't see it being introduced in the near future."
On the other hand, think of the advantages of a system which replaces the conventional steering column, hydraulics and steering gear.
Delphi's most advanced prototype has no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and road wheels. Actuators on the wheels angle them, while steering feel is generated by an electric motor.
This gives huge under-bonnet packaging advantages, and there is no need for a collapsible steering column, which is a safety plus.
Engineers believe they can save up to 20 kg, while left-hand-drive cars can be converted to right-hand-drive with unprecedented ease.
Never heard of Delphi? Then Visteon probably doesn't mean a lot to you either. Yet they are two of the world's largest component companies, the result of General Motors and Ford respectively renaming and giving more autonomy to large portions of their component manufacturing arms.
Delphi, for example, has 204,000 employees, operates in 36 countries, has 208 manufacturing facilities and turns over a very tidy $28 billion a year.
It has been "hived off" from GM Corporation to improve its ability to sell components and expertise to other car companies. Delphi's clients range from Alfa to Volvo.
The new generation Land Rover Discovery has a Delphi system claimed to reduce roll during cornering without compromising ride comfort (the anti-roll set-up of stiffer springs and stabiliser bars means harsher ride).
The ultra high-tech Mercedes-Benz S Class uses various Delphi wiring systems. The result of this "democratisation of technology" is that even smaller car manufacturers such as Volvo (whose S80 luxury sedan uses Delphi "multiplexing wiring) can introduce state-of-the-art electronics to their cars without prohibitive costs.
© 1998 Sydney Morning Herald
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