Volkswagen patents touch-sensitive turn signals
Volkswagen may do away with traditional turn signal switches. They want to place the controls on the rim of the steering wheel.
The German Patent and Trademark Office has published a description of a new steering wheel with controls located directly on the rim, on the left and right. It is proposed to move the turn signals, headlight control, cruise control and other functions here. According to Volkswagen, this solution will reduce production costs and improve safety at the same time, but the issue of protecting the sensors from accidental pressing remains open.
The main controls are located on the right side of the rim. Clicking on them on the left will highlight the secondary ones, and the driver will be able to select the desired one: for example, clicking on the headlight icon on the right will allow you to control high beam, brightness, and fog lights.
Buttons can be either touch or physical. Because they are assembled in a single unit on the steering wheel, Volkswagen does not have to spend money on the production of unnecessary physical controls.
Given the mass production, the steering wheel, which can be easily adapted to any model, could save Volkswagen millions in development and production costs. Other advantages include greater freedom for designers, as well as safety: the driver does not have to take his hands off the steering wheel to reach the necessary buttons.
At the same time, the touch buttons spontaneously respond to touch, which can lead to a dangerous situation on the road. It is not yet clear how Volkswagen will solve this problem. It is interesting that recently the head of the concern, Thomas Schaefer, criticized the sensors: he called such steering a mistake, and in 2022 Volkswagen has already promised to get rid of it, listening to customer criticism.
