Getting around. Going places. Going fast. Through the years, a trip has meant different things to different people.
An adventurer in the 19th century might dream of flying like a bird – perhaps in a hot-air balloon. For a 10-year-old in 1930, the experience of an automobile ride at the breakneck speed of 25 kilometres per hour would stay in the mind forever. If you live in the 21st century – and are extremely rich – the ultimate trip might be a journey into space aboard a rocket.
Man’s urge to move without using his own legs has resulted in a long chain of technical developments, inventions and refinements in the design of vehicles, from wagons to space rockets.
Still, the interior of a car has not changed radically since the 1920s. Seats may be more comfortable, safety belts are included and there are more functions on the instrument panel – but the same pedals are there, as is the steering wheel and the gear lever.
But the automotive world may be in for a change as drivers from the computer-game generation and by-wire technology arrive on the scene simultaneously.
By-wire technology may allow car manufacturers to dispense with the steering
column and the pedals. That could enhance driver safety by eliminating the steering column – a hazard in the event of a front-end accident. And a brake-by-wire system is friendly to the environment, because it allows for the elimination of brake fluid.
By-wire technology also gives designers the freedom to be inventive about interior design and driving mechanisms. The car could, for instance, be driven from a panel with touch buttons for different functions and a grip for steering. If we imagine, the panel could even be moveable, giving back-seat drivers what they’ve been asking for all these years – a way to drive from the rear of the car. Although that may not become reality, the possibilities are endless.