A quick way to make tight turns
This gizmo on display at the booth of ZF Friedrichshafen AG is an active kinematics control (AKC) unit. It is designed to bolt on a rear axle and turn the rear wheels up to about 3° during turns or maneuvers, as seen in the lower image. The result of this slight adjustment is a much tighter turn than would otherwise be possible with much less movement of the steering wheel on the part of the driver. The thought among steering system suppliers like ZF is that steering enhancements such as AKC will help hasten the adoption of autonomous vehicles by boosting maneuverability and lessening the load on the AI electronics. AKCs can already be found on production vehicles that include Cadillac, Porsche, and Ferrari
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Filed Under: Actuators, Hose • wraps + sleeves, Automotive, LINEAR MOTION, ELECTRONICS • ELECTRICAL