Here's Why Lexus Built A Better Yoke Than Tesla

[NemesisUK]

The secret is variable steering gear ratios, made possible by using 'steer-by-wire'

Now there's two things about this I'm uncertain about. One the absence of a physical connection between my hands and the front wheels. I wonder how well road/steering feel will work, will it be like a PC racing simulation 'feedback' steering wheel? The other is the variable steering ratio dependent on road speed. That said I've had progressive steering on my Mercs and not really noticed it but this seems more extreme, one never has to cross hands to make a turn.

Looking forward to experiencing it 

https://carbuzz.com/news/heres-why-lexus-built-a-better-yoke-than-tesla

 

[ColinBarber]

I'm sure it's great for a high performance track car, just seems unnecessary for an SUV. On a long drive I like to vary how I hold the wheel, this limits options.

[Roger Bill]

My first four cars didn't have power steering. The main drawback I found with the first car I had with power steering was not getting that light feeling when the road was icy. Power assisted steering systems have certainly improved but I think still lack some of the feel of a direct, unassisted setup. I can imagine that, if done well, a steer by wire system could provide better feedback as power to the wheels would be separate from the part of the system providing feedback to the steering wheel. It also gives the designers the opportunity to add features like accentuating the feel of tyres losing grip due to ice or taking a corner too fast. I'm just guessing as I've particular knowledge of these systems and I'm possibly not explaining this very well.

I believe a standard round system will be an option. It's an option I'd certainly select as like @ColinBarber I vary my hand positions on long drives and when parking I twirl the wheel in a way that I think would be less pleasant with a yoke.

The yoke reminds me a little of the quartic steering wheel in my ex-wife's Austin Allegro 😊

[ganzoom]

On 5/2/2022 at 10:18 PM, ColinBarber said:

I'm sure it's great for a high performance track car, just seems unnecessary for an SUV. On a long drive I like to vary how I hold the wheel, this limits options.

It's the opposite reason. AP on the Tesla HAS to turn the wheel when engaged, therefore it's always intrusive to the passengers regardless of how good the autmonouns software gets.

Been able to 100% disconnect the steering wheel is the future, short of removing it completely it's the next step.

This is actually something really innovative from Lexus, and Tesla will need to copy it at some point.

[Roger Bill]

Interesting parallels with fly by wire systems. Used in commercial aircraft to achieve smoother and safer flight and in military fighters with airframes designed on the limits to achieve maximum manoeuvrability which are virtually impossible to fly without the reaction speed of computerised control systems. These systems are generally very, very good but there are occasions when they have gone wrong typically when the pilot gets into a fight with the system. Air France AF296 and AF447 are two cases widely discussed online.

These fly by wire systems are much more than just power assisted flight controls. Similarly true steer by wire systems would be capable of much more than an electronic alternative to hydraulic power assisted steering.

Compared with drive by wire systems in a car aircraft fly by wire systems have two key advantages. First planes don't operate in such a conjested, variable and unpredictable environment. Secondly the costs of aircraft systems are enormous compared with anything comparable in the automotive industry. For these same reasons motor sport is leading the commercial automotive sector in this technology.

Disclaimer: I've no experience of designing fly by wire systems. These are just some rambling thoughts based upon my experience of designing and developing CADCAM software.

[Shahpor]

7 hours ago, Roger Bill said:

Interesting parallels with fly by wire systems. Used in commercial aircraft to achieve smoother and safer flight and in military fighters with airframes designed on the limits to achieve maximum manoeuvrability which are virtually impossible to fly without the reaction speed of computerised control systems. These systems are generally very, very good but there are occasions when they have gone wrong typically when the pilot gets into a fight with the system. Air France AF296 and AF447 are two cases widely discussed online.

These fly by wire systems are much more than just power assisted flight controls. Similarly true steer by wire systems would be capable of much more than an electronic alternative to hydraulic power assisted steering.

Compared with drive by wire systems in a car aircraft fly by wire systems have two key advantages. First planes don't operate in such a conjested, variable and unpredictable environment. Secondly the costs of aircraft systems are enormous compared with anything comparable in the automotive industry. For these same reasons motor sport is leading the commercial automotive sector in this technology.

Disclaimer: I've no experience of designing fly by wire systems. These are just some rambling thoughts based upon my experience of designing and developing CADCAM software.

The be fair, neither of those accidents are directly related to the fly by wires systems.  The only time I have heard of actual loss of control is in the event of hydraulics failure, but again, that isn't strictly speaking a fly by wire issue.  Basically, what I am trying to get at is that, as far as existing systems go, fly by wire has been extremely reliable.

Whether it is necessary on a car at this stage is another point entirely, but as Ganzoom says, it is step towards fully autonomous driving with an optional steering wheel.

[ColinBarber]

12 hours ago, ganzoom said:

It's the opposite reason. AP on the Tesla HAS to turn the wheel when engaged, therefore it's always intrusive to the passengers regardless of how good the autmonouns software gets.

Been able to 100% disconnect the steering wheel is the future, short of removing it completely it's the next step.

This is actually something really innovative from Lexus, and Tesla will need to copy it at some point.

This isn't about Tesla's reason for their yoke. Lexus are positioning it as an improvement in steering feel, precision, speed and effort for the driver, and giving clearer visibility of the road - none of those things matter if the aim is to remove the driver from the equation.

[ThomasD94]

On 5/2/2022 at 10:18 PM, ColinBarber said:

I'm sure it's great for a high performance track car, just seems unnecessary for an SUV. On a long drive I like to vary how I hold the wheel, this limits options.

I had a sit in the RZ at Goodwood over the weekend, the Yoke steering wheel felt like a game console wheel to me.

[KeindeAbiola]

Thanks for sharing.