In his role as Manager of Future Engineering at Nexteer Automotive, Jeff Zuraski has a multifaceted job that requires him to develop Nexteer’s core competencies as a major electric power steering (EPS) supplier, while keeping an eye on the horizon for new market opportunities.
Speaking to Automotive World, Zuraski explained how Nexteer is becoming increasingly involved in autonomous driving. “We need to stay competitive in our market space while looking at how to use our core competencies in designing actuators, motors and sensor electronics on other products,” he said. “Then of course there is the evolution of steering, which is where advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) come in to play.”
ADAS systems utilize various sensors within the car that enable the vehicle to control itself whilst on the road and adapt to changing situations. For fully autonomous driving, the vehicle is expected to be able to complete an entire journey from start to finish without the driver’s hands touching the wheel once. This is where an EPS is required as the steering system needs to be linked to the car’s artificial intelligence (AI) and ADAS. Nexteer can not only provide the required steering technology, but also offer integration expertise.
“The most natural thing for us is to make sure we have an actuator that is compatible with what our customers want us to do,” advised Zuraski. “All of the OEMs are exploring what they need in order to provide autonomous driving, and that involves a lot of different subsystems. The really skilled, capable guys have their own staff for the integration of subsystems, but there are others that maybe don’t have as much capability and want their suppliers to come with a more complete solution.”
If the car is to drive itself while the driver is preoccupied in other activities, there is a period of time where the driver needs to reengage. “We have to look at all of the cellular modes in the steering actuator to ensure that there are no failures that would cause loss of function,” Zuraski pointed out. “In other words, anything can fail, but the car has to keep functioning for some period of time after the failure. We’re exploring this and getting ready to help our customers continue their developments.”
Driverless or autonomous?
While various OEMs and Tier 1s are pushing ahead with their vision for a traditional car fitted with both a steering wheel and autonomous driving features, others such as Google are opting for a completely driverless vehicle with no controls. Which approach currently presents the most compelling business case for Nexteer as a Tier 1? “Content wise, the mixed driving approach would have the most content,” mused Zuraski. “In the case where there is no steering wheel, that is lost content for us, but if that is what’s needed in the future then we’d need to look at other opportunities,” he added. “We’re preparing solutions for both scenarios.”
Zuraski will be speaking at Autonomous Car Detroit by Automotive Megatrends on 16 March 2015, which will bring together the stakeholders that are making self-driving cars a reality.
