The First Folding Steering Wheel For Driverless Cars

First Folding Steering Wheel. © Tensor

This folding steering wheel is made for driverless cars, rethinking how interior space works in autonomous vehicles.

Autoliv and Tensor revealed the world’s first foldable steering wheel for self-driving cars last year.

It will first appear in Tensor’s Robocar and can be hidden away when it isn’t needed.

When the Robocar switches to Level 4 self-driving mode, the steering wheel rim folds down along the steering column and then slides into the dashboard. This opens up more space and makes the cabin more comfortable. At the same time, a center screen moves toward the passenger to provide entertainment while the car drives itself.

First Folding Steering Wheel. © Tensor

When the vehicle leaves Level 4 mode, the process is reversed: the screen returns to the center of the dashboard, and the steering wheel unfolds and moves back into place.