Nexteer Automotive has launched a High Mount Direct Drive SbW Hand-Wheel Actuator (HMDD), which it says gives manufacturers more “flexibility” in cockpit design for software-defined vehicles.
The HMDD combines a high-mounted motor with a fixed hub and what Nexteer describes as “direct-drive responsiveness”.
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The new product expands the company’s existing range of direct drive hand-wheel actuators for steer-by-wire (SbW) systems.
It joins a lower-mounted version positioned beneath the dashboard.
According to Nexteer, the two configurations allow manufacturers to select a layout based on packaging constraints, cabin design and the driving experience they want to achieve.
SbW technology translates a driver’s steering inputs into digital signals sent to the wheels, while separately producing feedback at the wheel to recreate the feel of mechanical steering.
Nexteer says the HMDD provides “greater steering interface design flexibility”, allowing features including controls and displays integrated into the centre hub, steering wheels that can be stowed or reshaped, and a broader choice of wheel positions within the cabin.
As the hub remains fixed rather than rotating, the design also alters airbag integration.
Nexteer says manufacturers do not have to use symmetrical driver-side airbags, which it describes as a requirement for conventional rotating steering systems.
The company states that, depending on the vehicle and its packaging, the architecture can reduce mass by up to “23% compared with legacy column-based architectures”.
Nexteer says the actuator is intended for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicle platforms.
It is also compatible with 12V and 48V electrical systems, as well as left- and right-hand-drive vehicle layouts.
Nexteer says the technology offers manufacturers a route to standardise and scale SbW hardware across model lines while differentiating vehicles through software, including steering feel, cabin features and user experience.
The company adds that this method could reduce part complexity and shorten development times.
Nexteer Automotive R&D executive director Michael Hales said: “Nexteer’s HMDD gives OEMs a new way to rethink the cockpit and driver experience while enhancing the steering feel, packaging flexibility and safety-critical performance.
“As vehicles become more software-defined, technologies like HMDD help create a more flexible foundation for differentiated steering experiences and future vehicle architectures.”
