Project number
26068
Organization
Michael W Marcellin, Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Offering
ENGR498-F2025-S2026
Steer by Wire is a form of steering that eliminates the mechanical linkages of a traditionally steered vehicle, replacing them with an electronically actuated steering rack driven by a set of motors. This system has been in use on aircraft and utility vehicles like forklifts for years but is just now starting to enter the market of production cars. It is currently available on a few commercially available automobiles, such as some sports cars from Lexus and BMW models and larger trucks like the Tesla Cybertruck. Automotive manufactures are increasingly interested in its use in autonomous and self driving systems; largely due to the precise control and because the steering ratio can be actively changed based on driving factors, such as speed or terrain. Please note this is not SAE-exclusive nor do you need SAE experience to be prepared/eligible and background on technical elements, objectives and goals.
This project will follow the industry design process to design, build and test an automotive steer-by-wire system comparable to ones used currently in industry, elegantly combining electronic, mechanical, software and control systems. This system will be put on a former year's Baja SAE club car to test and gather data comparing ergonomics, driver control and capability and vehicle maneuverability. Emphasis on overall system safety and a clear understanding of potential failure modes should be present throughout all stages of design.
Project Objectives
- Design, build and test a working steer-by-wire system
- System should show the test car has increased maneuverability and turn radius.
- Decreased steering effort and better general ergonomics for the driver.
- System should prioritize safety and have failure modes in the event of an issue.
- System should be well documented enough to have future potential for integration into a University of Arizona SAE competition Baja or Formula car.
- Steer-by-wire system should show good understanding of current automotive technologies and have applications, where possible, to current industry cars that utilize this system. Trade studies should be done of current applications of this technology.
- Project will culminate in a research paper to be published and presented at ITC in 2026 by the team.
Stretch Goals
- Variable steering ratio based on different speeds.
- Advanced sensor/telemetry equipment integrated into data collection.
- System will entirely eliminate the need for any hand-over-hand steering.
- Team should conduct interviews of past competition drivers to determine what an ideal steering system would look like for an endurance race, and highlight any issues had in the past that this could potentially solve.
- System should be useable for either front, rear, or all wheels.
This project will follow the industry design process to design, build and test an automotive steer-by-wire system comparable to ones used currently in industry, elegantly combining electronic, mechanical, software and control systems. This system will be put on a former year's Baja SAE club car to test and gather data comparing ergonomics, driver control and capability and vehicle maneuverability. Emphasis on overall system safety and a clear understanding of potential failure modes should be present throughout all stages of design.
Project Objectives
- Design, build and test a working steer-by-wire system
- System should show the test car has increased maneuverability and turn radius.
- Decreased steering effort and better general ergonomics for the driver.
- System should prioritize safety and have failure modes in the event of an issue.
- System should be well documented enough to have future potential for integration into a University of Arizona SAE competition Baja or Formula car.
- Steer-by-wire system should show good understanding of current automotive technologies and have applications, where possible, to current industry cars that utilize this system. Trade studies should be done of current applications of this technology.
- Project will culminate in a research paper to be published and presented at ITC in 2026 by the team.
Stretch Goals
- Variable steering ratio based on different speeds.
- Advanced sensor/telemetry equipment integrated into data collection.
- System will entirely eliminate the need for any hand-over-hand steering.
- Team should conduct interviews of past competition drivers to determine what an ideal steering system would look like for an endurance race, and highlight any issues had in the past that this could potentially solve.
- System should be useable for either front, rear, or all wheels.