Hyundai Mobis has developed a foldable steering system that enables the folding and unfolding of a steering wheel. T
his innovative technology is optimised for future mobility vehicles as it can allow for more space in the driver’s seat and also thereby enable design innovation.
The foldable steering system features a steering wheel that can move forwards and backward up to 25cm. Hyundai Mobis is in the process of filing patents globally for the technology development, which took around two years for completion.
To develop this system, Hyundai Mobis designed new core parts of a steering system, including a column and a reaction force control device, and applied a sliding rail mechanism, securing system durability and reliability.
The system enabled the application of assorted designs, including a storage type where the steering wheel can be retracted into the dashboard, as well as the foldable one. This means that an innovative driver’s seat, which we would only be able to see in future concept cars at a motor show, is now coming closer to being on the road.
The new foldable steering system is also perfectly compatible with the Steer by Wire (SBW) steering system. The SBW system controls steering with electrical signals by connecting the steering wheel with a device designed to deliver the steering force generated from the steering wheel to the wheels.
The SBW system enables the provision of optimal steering performance on the various driving conditions and minimises the vibrations that come from a rumble strip or a speed bump to the steering wheel, allowing the driver to drive in a comfortable and stable manner. Besides, the redundancy design of some core electronic parts, such as sensors and ECU in the system, ensures that the vehicle is capable of maintaining normal steering in an emergency.
Hyundai Mobis plans to actively respond to the self-driving car market and the future mobility market, including PBV, by further improving its competitiveness with various future technologies, such as the foldable steering system. It also plans to promote the foldable steering system as a major export item.