Lexus Is Going To Change Steering Forever With Their New Yoke!
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The Lexus RZ 450e has a surprising amount in common with the Tesla Model S. They’re both electric, they’re both all-wheel-drive, and they both offer a steering yoke! Not surprising, Lexus doesn’t want to call it a yoke, because Tesla’s steering yoke got so much negative feedback upon it’s release, and with good reason. Lexus has overcome the Tesla’s flaws, however, with a clever new design: steer-by-wire. You see, there isn’t anything physically connecting the steering wheel to the steering rack; all communication is electronic!
Before you freak out, know that we’ll deep dive into this technology in this video, answering the following five questions:
1) How does steer-by-wire work?
2) Why would you use steer-by-wire, and what are the advantages?
3) Can you trust steer-by-wire to be safe and reliable?
4) Why is Tesla’s steering yoke a bad design?
5) What drawback’s does Lexus steer-by-wire system have?
Enjoy the video!
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*Important Update* Many have asked if the maximum angle the front wheels can turn is limited at higher speeds, since it uses a shorter ratio. I reached out to Lexus for more information. They said "the amount or angle the wheels of the vehicle can turn left-to-right in a vehicle equipped with Steer by Wire is the same at 5mph and 85mph (they are also the exact same angle values left-to-right as on the traditional EPS steering system vehicles). The changes are in the actuation of that steering rack left-to-right and the variable speed that you reach during that turning function as vehicle speed increases."
I have asked some clarifying questions and will provide updates here once received.
After I back to back slalom tests with Lexus yoke and a conventional steering wheel, I have to say it's pretty amazing. Instantly felt natural and intuitive. Going through the slalom is effortless, even when the suspension bottomed out in the RZ. You also get the added bonus of not having have top of the steering wheel block the dials and info on the dash. 10/10 would get if I had the money haha
Another example of things no one asked for
makes a crash "sorry bro, i had LAG"
I would be excited to see the moose test be done on this technology.
Wires are famous for fraying, braking and otherwise being damaged, you really want the one thing controlling the direction of your vehicle to be connected with just a bit of copper? Even a software malfunction means your car could kill you in an instant! Just a quick 0-50/60° turn in either direction while going about 80 KPH is sure to kill you, any passengers and anyone next to you on the road.
That why i hate modern cars. Asistents and helpers are every were!
I want my old car back, my good old 92' Toyota Vista that has only one asistent, hydraulic stearing wheel!
Without delay it is superior. But shown delay is not acceptable at all.
And thanks to that, i gained absolutely no actual benefit as a consumer. The product cost increased drastically for almost no benefits or improved driving experience…
More complex meaning fixing and repair cost will hit harder than before…as if it wasn't hard and expensive enough already…
Hackable killer machine
Would be interesting to see how steer by wire reacts to the moose test. Would it fail because of the delay ? And hit the cones…
Sim racing just got real
Unnecessarily complicated, it worked fine the old way, this fixes a problem that isn't there.
@12:12 input lag or latency or hardware response will almost always be an issue with drive by wire systems vs. mechanical connections. And some people will notice a 30-80ms delay in input delay/latency, and definitely around 100ms to 150ms.
In mechanical systems, the slop in the system is called back lash, or the amount of distance you have to move to change direction where nothing happens to until it does. Mechanical systems are time tested solutions but like with any system it will get progressively worsen over time in things like the rack/pinion wear, fluid pressures, u-joints, gearing, belts, rod ends etc… all wear down mechanically.
In electric systems or simulation steering systems, latency can be reduced to 30ms and make it unnoticeable to most but the more algorithms you place in the loop the more processing obviously you will have and more latency. Direct Drive systems or servos with no mechanical reductions or systems in the middle, can remove more latency and be more robust, and come even closer at replicating mechanical steering systems. But any algorithm, for force feedback or correction placed on top of the wheel will always introduce some form of latency, key is whether it is noticeable or not by most…. Same goes for drone pilots and video stability systems. You can have a stabilized image or fast response, but you cannot have both. Or for raw video vs. compressed video. Always chasing compromises… 😉
Drive by wire has some advantages for sure and Honda had a VSG or a mechanical variable steering system in the past. quote "
It featured variable gear ratio steering (VGS), a steering system that continuously changes the steering ratio based upon the car’s speed and steering angle. This was the first system of its kind to be implemented in a car and was designed to improve handling performance. Honda also reduced the lock-to-lock steering ratio to 1.4 turns from 2.4, and all Type V cars came with revised damper units, stabilizers and limited slip differentials. Type V S2000s were given a special steering wheel and had a VGS badge rear of the car."
From vTech to VGS. Lobes all around. 😉