In the summer of 2020, the E-Class will launch a new, comprehensively digitalized generation of steering wheels from Mercedes-Benz: the capacitive steering wheel. Its rim contains a two-zone sensor mat that detects whether the driver’s hands are gripping the steering wheel. The touch control buttons placed in the spokes also work with digital signals. The first step towards the modern Mercedes-Benz steering wheel was taken by the then Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft 120 years ago: switching from a simple steering crank or steering rod to the significantly more functional steering wheel. This led to the development of today’s high-tech command centre, which enables the driver to steer precisely and, at the same time, comfortably and safely operate numerous comfort and assistance systems.
Developers and designers work hand in hand – and focus on perfecting every detail. For example, every millimetre of a circuit board determines how elegantly the surface can be designed. It’s all about looks and, above all, haptics. “Steering-wheel design is a world of its own and a very special challenge that is often underestimated,” says Hans-Peter Wunderlich, Creative Director Interior Design at Mercedes-Benz, who has been designing steering wheels for around 20 years. “Besides the seat, the steering wheel is the only component in the vehicle with which we have intensive physical contact. The fingertips feel little things that we normally don’t notice. If an unevenness is disturbing or the steering wheel does not fit snugly in our hands, we don’t like it. This haptic sensation is sent to the brain as feedback and determines whether or not we like the car.” The emotional connection to a car is thus created through the sense of touch.
No steering wheel at all – the first cars
The first automobile in the world, the patent motor car by Carl Benz of 1886, still managed “without,” just like the “steel wheel car” designed by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1889 – neither of them had a steering wheel. They were only equipped with a simple steering lever or steering crank because at the time, carriage drivers were used to pulling on the right or left rein to direct the horses in the desired direction.
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SOURCE: Daimler
