FALCON POWERS – The patent filing reveals the company’s idea to simplify the car control process.
Race cars can serve as test beds for technologies that ultimately end up in the vehicles we purchase, such as gear shift indicator lights mounted on the steering wheel. This is not a new idea, but Hyundai believes it has found a way to simplify the assembly process and bring this feature to more vehicles. The automaker filed a patent on June 13 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to go beyond the mounted steering wheel lights.
According to the filing, the steering wheel will have an opening on the top portion dedicated to the lights, and a groove within the frame for the wiring, whether or not it contains the lights. This will allow Hyundai to reduce the cost of steering wheel production, making it more readily available across multiple models. The new design will enable the automaker to add various plug-and-play components.
