Ford to Debut in-Hub Adaptive Steering Technology

Within the next 12 months Ford Motor Co. plans to begin equipping some of its vehicles with a system that adds or reduces a driver's steering input according to vehicle speed.

Like variable-ratio steering offered by Audi, BMW and Lexus, Ford's system turns the front wheels more sharply per given steering input at low speed than at high speed.

But the unique Ford system, which was developed with Takata Corp., fits entirely within the steering wheel. It requires no modification to the rest of the steering system and is compatible with hydraulic and electric steering systems.

The technology includes worm and helical gears, a small DC motor and an electronic control board that monitors vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. Takata developed an ultra-compact airbag module that provides room within the steering wheel hub to hold the two-pound system.

In a Ford demonstration video, a steering wheel that requires about 560 of back-and-forth input to negotiate a slalom course can do the same with 360 of turn when the system is activated.