August 30, 2010 at 16:57Lomaster. The current breaking point is car steering
By publishing the third post in the Lomaster series, I want to clarify the idea, but it seems to me that there is a misunderstanding. This projection is not intended at all to “overturn the basics” and “open to people” eyes on how ordinary things should act. It is rather an attempt to discard completely reliable and high-quality traditional solutions for a few minutes and be a designer who has freedom of choice and mistakes.
The automotive industry has existed for only a hundred years with a small tail. And, perhaps, no other “technology tree” in history (well, maybe microelectronics yet) has undergone such serious optimization and has not grown so rapidly. Generations of engineers squeezed everything possible, improving where power, where security, where the price of the car. In a word, a modern car is a real miracle on four wheels. And the fact that we are accustomed to consider this miracle to be commonplace is just that everyday blindness against which my “lomaster” posts are directed.
So is there a chance to be “smarter” than hundreds of thousands of mechanics, engineers, designers and just enthusiasts who have improved their iron pets over the past hundred years? Honestly, the chances are few. BUT! Firstly, it takes courage of the city, and secondly, we still have to “break” the standard, mainstream auto controls, and not all the amusements that inventors came up with for concept cars and home-made cars.
So, steering, pedals, gearbox.
Where did all this come from?
The progenitors of cars, all these 19th-century self-made prams were driven either by the principle of a bicycle - a rotary steering wheel with direct transmission to the front wheel (usually one) or a rotary lever, reminiscent of a boat steering wheel. The vertical steering wheel turned out to be a very good idea - firstly, from the three-wheeled scheme at the end of the 19th century they switched to four-wheeled ones, due to better stability and controllability, so the bicycle control scheme was inconvenient. Secondly, the vertical steering wheel made it easier to follow the road, which was important, given the ever-increasing speed of cars. And most importantly - the cars became harder and harder to turn the wheels with the help of a bicycle wheel or a lever - it became just very hard physically. You need to understand that then no power steering was put in cars.
Thus, the appearance of the steering wheel at the very end of the 19th century completely determined the fate of the car in the 20th century. For example, pedals - were a consequence of the fact that the driver’s hands now became completely occupied with the wheel and he did not have time to press the brake lever in case of emergency braking. The gearbox also primarily guaranteed a quick shift, allowing you to immediately return your hand to the steering wheel.
A hundred years have passed. And we still keep our hands on the steering wheel. Because it is a good, conveniently “licked” by engineers, convenient and familiar TRADITIONAL solution.
What has changed during this time? What are the claims to the steering wheel?
I see not so many options.
These options are good in that they integrate all the controls in one manipulator. That is, you will not get confused what to harvest and in what sequence.
I understand that this is very sparse, and, to be honest, all these methods have already been implemented in all kinds of concept cars, but what to do - as I said - the steering wheel is a VERY perfect system. It is difficult to come up with an adequate alternative. If you have any ideas, I will read your comments with interest.
Well, it’s clear, of course, that ahead, after a few decades, are completely self-driving cars that will be more likely equipped with some kind of mini-joystick that can be steered in emergency situations than with full-fledged steering pedals, which 95% of the time will simply be take a seat in the cockpit.
The automotive industry has existed for only a hundred years with a small tail. And, perhaps, no other “technology tree” in history (well, maybe microelectronics yet) has undergone such serious optimization and has not grown so rapidly. Generations of engineers squeezed everything possible, improving where power, where security, where the price of the car. In a word, a modern car is a real miracle on four wheels. And the fact that we are accustomed to consider this miracle to be commonplace is just that everyday blindness against which my “lomaster” posts are directed.
So is there a chance to be “smarter” than hundreds of thousands of mechanics, engineers, designers and just enthusiasts who have improved their iron pets over the past hundred years? Honestly, the chances are few. BUT! Firstly, it takes courage of the city, and secondly, we still have to “break” the standard, mainstream auto controls, and not all the amusements that inventors came up with for concept cars and home-made cars.
So, steering, pedals, gearbox.
Where did all this come from?
The progenitors of cars, all these 19th-century self-made prams were driven either by the principle of a bicycle - a rotary steering wheel with direct transmission to the front wheel (usually one) or a rotary lever, reminiscent of a boat steering wheel. The vertical steering wheel turned out to be a very good idea - firstly, from the three-wheeled scheme at the end of the 19th century they switched to four-wheeled ones, due to better stability and controllability, so the bicycle control scheme was inconvenient. Secondly, the vertical steering wheel made it easier to follow the road, which was important, given the ever-increasing speed of cars. And most importantly - the cars became harder and harder to turn the wheels with the help of a bicycle wheel or a lever - it became just very hard physically. You need to understand that then no power steering was put in cars.
Thus, the appearance of the steering wheel at the very end of the 19th century completely determined the fate of the car in the 20th century. For example, pedals - were a consequence of the fact that the driver’s hands now became completely occupied with the wheel and he did not have time to press the brake lever in case of emergency braking. The gearbox also primarily guaranteed a quick shift, allowing you to immediately return your hand to the steering wheel.
A hundred years have passed. And we still keep our hands on the steering wheel. Because it is a good, conveniently “licked” by engineers, convenient and familiar TRADITIONAL solution.
What has changed during this time? What are the claims to the steering wheel?
- In those years, the only way to transmit a wheel control signal was direct mechanical transmission. There was no electronics, no hydraulics. It was not necessary to have a good life on the steering wheel - the controllability of the car depended on the physical strength of the driver. Now this is simply not necessary.
- The average speed of cars on the highway since the thirties has doubled, from the beginning of the century - three times. The number of cars, and consequently the complexity of maneuvering, also increased sharply. This, incidentally, is indirectly visible in the number of car accidents.
- Automatic transmissions, ABS and various schemes with a smooth change of power - are used more often and sooner or later they will finally “kill” the manual gearbox, leaving it the lot of any exotic hot rod.
I see not so many options.
- Something like an aviation steering wheel-joystick. It's nice that you can integrate all the main controls into such a manipulator. Right and left - turns, and back and forth - gas and brake. True, one will have to make the pen much more “heavy” than it is on the plane and install support for the arm on it so that it does not get tired.
- Palm management. The hand is placed in a special recess, which is the control body - to the right and left - turns, fingers squeeze - gas, pressing the lower part of the palm - brake.
- Foot / foot control - it is clear that the legs are now used to control, but the pedals now only control the speed of the car. Here, not only foot presses are used, but also tibia rotations that specify the direction.
These options are good in that they integrate all the controls in one manipulator. That is, you will not get confused what to harvest and in what sequence.
I understand that this is very sparse, and, to be honest, all these methods have already been implemented in all kinds of concept cars, but what to do - as I said - the steering wheel is a VERY perfect system. It is difficult to come up with an adequate alternative. If you have any ideas, I will read your comments with interest.
Well, it’s clear, of course, that ahead, after a few decades, are completely self-driving cars that will be more likely equipped with some kind of mini-joystick that can be steered in emergency situations than with full-fledged steering pedals, which 95% of the time will simply be take a seat in the cockpit.