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Steering into the future
The side-sticks that do the job of the steering wheel and more.
YOU'VE PROBABLY heard of speed-sensing steering, electronic traction control, anti-lock braking system, satellite navigation and a whole lot of other gizmos which come with a modern car. But a car without a steering wheel! If that sounds like a concept taken out of a Star Wars episode, you are wrong.
The German automobile manufacturer Mercedes Benz has come up with a pioneering control system which might replace the conventional steering mechanism in the car of the future. The system is featured in the F 200 Imagination, a concept car which has generated a fair amount of curiosity among automobile buffs. For those of you who have no means of getting to see the real thing at close quarters, the prototype of the drive-by-wire vehicle can be viewed at the popular Web site, ultimatecarpage.com.
The site provides a detailed view of the F 200 from various angles, both exterior and interior. Bristling with an awesome package of electronic contraptions which would put some aircraft to shame, the sleek car looks every inch like a crouching tiger about to unleash its fury. The control system on board permits the driver to manoeuvre the car by means of side-sticks, much like the joystick on your video game control. To steer the vehicle, the driver moves the side-sticks to the left or right; for braking, he moves them backwards and forwards for accelerating.
With no conventional controls or connecting elements like steering wheel, steering column and pedals, the driver can just sit back with his feet stretched out.
The electronic control system is coupled with a dynamically adjustable suspension to match driving conditions for enhanced handling safety and ride comfort.
The interior and exterior rear-view mirrors have been replaced by electronic cameras integrated into the glass roof of the F 200 with the images beamed into a screen before the driver. Other dashboard screens provide information such as road speed and fuel level. A video recorder, TV receiver, on-board computer and a navigation system provide information for the driver and entertainment for the passengers.
The prototype F 200.
The doors of the F 200 feature a swingout-and-lift system activated by the push of a button. As a result, getting in and out is easier and the car requires less space for parking. Headlamps which automatically adjust to the driving situation and road speed, improve night vision. The machine is powered by a V12 engine delivering a whopping 394 bhp.
But hold on, the F 200 isn't about to roll out from the assembly lines. Four years after Merc came up with the prototype, it remains a concept car.
Neverthless, some of the innovative features could find their way into popular models.
Now does that conjure up an image of the old Indian warhorse, the Ambassador, fitted out with a few of the thingummies on the F 200?
Perhaps, some day in the near future, we might see our children fiddling with side sticks in their sophisticated Ambys fitted with gull wing doors, sat nav and what not. Projecting a Jurassic Park entity into the Star Wars era may be a tad difficult, but not impossible.
By T. Nandakumar
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