German specialists over at ZF have devised a new steering wheel concept that’s advertised as a both more practical and safer alternative to the traditional wheel. It is still unknown when this invention may reach the mass market, Carscoops points out.
The design seen here has been penned up by the ZF Lifetec division, which specializes in passive safety measures. The main idea here is to install the airbag at the upper half of the steering wheel, rather than in the middle.
According to the designers, such an arrangement should be every bit as safe as the traditional one while freeing up space at the wheel hub for additional controls or a display. It can also be easily integrated with the sensors used by the self-driving systems to determine whether the driver keeps hands on the wheel.