Toyota patents variable-thickness steering wheel that changes on the fly:
In the realm of driver controls, there is perhaps no interface more sacred than the steering wheel. Attempts to remake it have elicited justified anger, as nothing seems to violate our sense of dominion over the vehicle than tweaks to this humble hoop. That's not stopping automakers, though, and the latest re-think of the steering wheel comes from Toyota in the form of a rim that changes its thickness on the fly.
Such alerts can be helpful but can also be a nuisance, or even harmful, if, say, the flashing warning causes the driver to look away from the road, or if the wheel pushes back when the driver actually intends to make an evasive lane change. Thickness would be governed by tiny actuators installed around the rim. These can take the form of a small spring that expands or contracts, an inflation/deflation device or a miniature cam. Activated electronically, they allow one section of the rim to expand or contract while others remain constant.
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