modern hybrid steering wheels are safer, but require engineers to think outside the box

Yokes are Yesterday's Technology
Yokes are dangerous, and have caused driver injuries long enough.

Modern Hybrid Steering Wheels in a Nutshell...

I've Dreaded This Day Since 1993. At 13:20s, the question of POWER STEERING came up with Alexander Rossi mentioning it could be switchable. Based on the primitive grips I've seen recently on steering wheels, resorting to a potentially unsafe solution is not a surprise.

Stay with me on this one...

I mention Unsafe for Two Main Reasons:

1) Unnecessary Complexity adds parts. In engineering, parts are designed to MTBF (mean time between failure) considerations...what does that say?

It says that parts fail. So, the more parts you add, the greater the opportunity for failures to occur. FACT.

The argument that an unnecessarily complex design can be made FAILSAFE is like saying, "Other than that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?"

Point: Hysteresis remains whenever you add complexity to a mechanical/electronic component system.

Whether that is due to hydraulic lag (if hydraulic ps), or overcoming electric component inertia including the inherent delay in REACTIVE sensor-processing/actuator-activation systems used to execute a task.

Most importantly:

There are major Human Factor Elements involved when processing a change on the track, as well.

First, is recognizing the failure itself if assist level is low, then being INSTANTLY required to process another set of factors (increased force/sudden change in steering feedback signal-to-noise ratio, etc.).

All these elements make questioning the benefits of complex power assist a VERY REAL consideration...especially at the speeds of IndyCars.

...this is NOT F1.

​Pioneering Driver Safety

PersonaGrip's new Hybrid Offset-Staggered 2-Spoke Designs are Revolutionary and improve racing for both driver and spectator alike.

Drivers will no longer have to abandon control and grab their belts to prevent hand/wrist injuries during a "moment".

Instead, the full-round offset-staggered spoke design allows drivers a full 360-degree of control surfaces available to catch it.

So, instead of spectacular crashes, we can have spectacular saves once again.

Combining Decades of Technology...
​
New Offset-Staggered Two-Spoke steering wheels combine technologies from three decades into a modern design.

Michael Schumacher's 1995 F1 Championship winning wheel had a more-forgiving metallic 3-spoke design.  This material allows better crash ride-down Energy Absorption during the crash event saving drivers' from unnecessary hand/wrist that modern carbon fiber yokes can't deliver by virtue of spoke proximity to fingers, and unforgiving destruction during impacts.

Schumacher in '95 & Alonso 25 Years Later

After decades of experience studying/experimenting to optimize the Human-Machine Interface on controls in race cars/boats/airplanes, with very few exceptions, the current grip designs on the circuits today are equivalent to my earlier Gen2 designs...at best.

I would urge IndyCar to reconsider the power steering option and seek optimization of a simpler; therefore, SAFER manual steering system that includes:

1) Modern Hybrid Design where carbon fiber gauge pods/controls are mounted on offset-staggered metallic two-spoke steering devices.

2) Elimination of Yokes. A sharp increase of hand/wrist injuries occurred when racing switched to yokes...away from round steering wheels.

Yokes are OLD technology today.

Today's driver injuries are due to the short distance from fingers to spokes...often <10mm. Therefore, during kickbacks, hand/fingers have little-to-no-time to egress from the control device, and bone fractures occur.

Instead, modern offset-staggered Two-Spoke control devices allow a full 180-degrees of movement allowing drivers time to escape from what amounts to "flying hammers"...the yoke's 4-spokes AND OUTSIDE SURFACES.

By having circular control surfaces located a full 360-degrees around the control device, drivers instinctive reactions would then have control surfaces available to catch it once again.

...instead, today's drivers are trained to abandon control and grab their chest belts resulting in spectacular crashes instead of spectacular saves that we used to see when steering wheels were round, albeit with 3-spoke designs.

BUT, even 3-Spoke designs were safer with their 180- and 90-degrees of kickback movement before contact with drivers' hands/fingers.

Having a modern offset-staggered Hybrid Steering wheel in the 2028 IndyCar would be revolutionary incorporating the freedom of modern carbon fiber technology with predictable deformation guaranteed by a metallic energy-absorbing offset-staggered 2-spoke system that allows maximum egress time AND maximum control during "moments".

If a Dallara engineer reads this and thinks this is a crazy step backwards, it's because they're using thinking based on 3-decades old technology.

However, the racing product can be improved by Thinking Outside The Box.

...but it requires an Open Mind.

Call: +1.714.342.3020 for more information.