With the objective of establishing the ultimate steering operation system for drivers,
we developed, based on bioengineering considerations, the Twin Lever Steering (TLS) system
which mimicks the bi-articular muscles, as shown in
Fig.
1
. The bioengineering advantages are as follows: (1) force can be exerted more
easily, (2) the steering can be accomplished quickly, (3) the positioning can be done
accurately, and (4) the burden on the driver can be reduced (less fatigue). The advantages
of the vehicle in terms of its motion are as follows: (1) the line-traceability is
improved, (2) the drift control is improved, (3) the lane-change capability is improved,
and (4) the lap time and stability are improved. We would like to report on these
advantages of the TLS system from a bioengineering standpoint, and also describe the
results of some verification test results obtained from vehicles equipped with this new
steering system.
