Sitting here listening to CNBC and the skinny pedal issue with Toyota.

One of the things mentioned was the drive by wire technology common in cars now for the skinny pedal.

So they also mention brake by wire technology as a sidenote.... now think about that in a JK!!

I hope this day never comes.

 

Steer by wire is not beyond the realm of possibility, either.

 

i dont see steering or braking without a mechanical or hydraulic backup. merecedes has brake by wire, but a hydraulic back up (whats the point?). BMW has electronic power steering, but is mechanically still connected in event of a failure.

 

New aircraft are all fly by wire. now that sounds scary

 

Aircraft have usually have noting less than three tier redundancy. Essentially, back-up for the back-up. The chances of all three or more systems going belly-up is astronomical.

Not so scary, really.



My regards,

Widewing

 

That's true. And, the numbers are on our side.
However, all systems can fail at the same instant:
h**p://www.airdisaster.com/special/special-ua232.shtml

 

Electronic control systems (by wire) have much higher reliability, lower latency and endless possibilities than any mechanical or hydraulic system and they have been around for 30+ years.

Maybe you would prefer a wood cantilever system to activate the ABS.

Sooner or later even Jeeps have to progress. Look at the wonderful things the PCM does for the magnificient 3.8L : performance, fuel economy, diagnostics, did I mention performance

 

Personally I hate the idea of all the _____ by wire that they are doing now. Case and point: has anyone else with the 6-speed stalled out in slippery conditions when engaging the clutch from a stop when the traction control cuts the electronic throttle control? Since then I have gotten used to it but it was still annoying at first.

I think the biggest issue that freaks me out about all the control by wire isn't so much I mind the actual mechanisms but much more about control by wire combined with Onstar. I just REALLY don't like the idea of big brother that can already unlock the doors, shut down the engine, and have controls like that on the vehicle over Onstar. If you had all control by wire it would just freak me out that someone at Onstar (and hence the government right now) would have MORE power over my own vehicle using a computer linked into my cars computer than I would Whos to say they won't decide a future vehicle is only allowed to drive 1000 miles a year before it shuts down and won't start up again until the next year due to the current eco-terrorists in our government I will never buy a vehicle with any type of satellite links built into the vehicle computer (Onstar or GPS) for this exact reason.

HOWEVER

As a mechanical engineer I can understand why car companies are going to the control by wire in the cars. The reasoning isn't so much for reliability but it is for advanced vehicle controls (hybrid vehicles, traction control, roll mitigation, stability control, etc.). For instance our current stability control currently uses a modified ABS system to try to align the Jeep to the "intended path" based on the steering angle. If all vehicle controls (steering, throttle, and brake) were all by wire, imagine the stability control and such they could do in that case? You could be spinning at 80 mph and if the stability control had control over all controls it could probably align itself fairly quickly.


Personally I hope vehicle manufacturers continue to make person controlled vehicles at the same time as they investigate control by wire. Why? Because of the trade-off of cost and safety. Give us, the consumers, the freedom of choice. Let all the retarded terrible drivers out there who go 80 mph in icy conditions the best chance not to plow into my kids at the cost of them buying a more expensive car and having the government control them. Meanwhile my kids, who I will raise to be responsible drivers who theoretically shouldn't need any of the controls, can buy a much cheaper car and not have a link that allows the government to watch them

 

Look up "Paris Airshow Airbus Crash". Triple redundant or not, fly by wire sucks.