Mercedes-Benz new steering wheel feels your touch, literally

MANILA: No touch, no go. That’s just one of the safety features of the newly developed steering wheel of Mercedes-Benz that’s now available in the E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet.

This high-tech steering wheel now comes with capacitive hands-off detection using a two-zone sensor mat under the leather or wooden (depending on the model) cover situated along the back and front of its rim. The system no longer needs you to make an active steering input to let assistive systems know that the driver is in control. This, in turn, makes the operation of semi-automated driving in E-Class units much easier.

Once the driver touches the sensor, a change in capacitance is detected and converted into a digital signal by the control unit. It records even the smallest change in capacitance created by hands simply touching the sides or front of the steering wheel and not completely enclosing it.

If hands are not at the steering wheel at all for a certain period of time, a warning sequence is initiated, which ultimately activates Emergency Stop Assist if the driver remains inactive.

It uses materials designed to withstand temperatures of over 100-degrees Celsius and for the first time, the individual Touch Control buttons are completely and seamlessly separated from one another and operate with digital signals. This way, the mechanics of the buttons are reduced to a minimum. Touches are recorded and evaluated by capacitive sensors to allow intuitive operation using swipe gestures and pressing symbols.

The new steering wheel is available in two versions with a leather rim on the E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet. The standard has three spokes forming a chalice (where the control surfaces are located) in high-gloss black inspired by elegant Callas flowers and finished in Silver Shadow. The ‘Supersport’ version in the AMG line shows the control surfaces on two double-decker spokes that look like wing nuts of sports cars. It comes with a high-gloss black finish with a Silver Shadow shade.

Photo from Mercedes-Benz

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