Ognibene collaborated with TTControl - TTTech Off-Highway, to design the bus architecture for a steer-by-wire system. The goal was to realize a steer-by-wire system for off-highway vehicles and an electronic controlled steering system without mechanical back-up.
Steer-by-wire is an advanced steering technique for adaptable, modular steering systems. It eliminates the mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steered wheels. The bulky steering column is replaced by an electronic connection. Actuators control the wheels and provide feedback to the driver.
Steer-by-wire provides a wide range of benefits, including additional safety features, the simplification of production processes, the possibility of autonomous operation, and improved modularity. Further significant advantages are easier layout of the vehicle, faster installation of the steering system and better automation of the steering function.
The steer-by-wire driving control unit was developed by Ognibene. Together with TTControl the bus architecture based on TTP was designed. The prototype tractor demonstrated the technological feasibility of a steer-by-wire system. Single failures were injected in the system in order to ensure that the redundancy level introduced was adequate meeting the regulations for steering systems. With TTControl's hardware and software, the steering of the vehicle can be parameterized according to on-field conditions, and the steering behavior can change with the state of the vehicle.
