Ford Patents System with Removable Steering Wheel and Pedals for Self-Driving Cars

Engineers at Ford have gazed into the future with the latest patent filed by the automaker.

The system shows an interior dashboard that involves a removable steering wheel and pedals for self-driving cars.

First discovered by Motor1, the patent states the removable driver functions would be beneficial for “development purposes” and “enables the easy provision of a steering wheel as a customer-requested option.” That’s right, Ford seems to imagine a future where a steering wheel and pedals are customer options, not standard.

Freaky.

The assumption with this system is that Ford would use a steer-by-wire system to allow easy connection of the wheel and pedals. The technology is far from perfect today, but who knows what might be accomplished in the coming years.

Additionally, two driver airbags are present: one in the steering wheel and one in the dashboard when the steering wheel is unattached. Per the patent description, a sensor would tell the vehicle which airbag to deploy, whether it’s the steering-wheel or dashboard-mounted airbag.

To read more of the original article, go to Motor Authority.

The post Ford Patents System with Removable Steering Wheel and Pedals for Self-Driving Cars appeared first on Fleet Management Weekly.

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