Could steer-by-wire enable cheap 4-wheel steering?

[FutureBoy]

I’ve been thinking about 4-wheel steering. Given the recent fake videos of the Hummer crab mode, it seems like 4-wheel steering is a relatively popular and marketable feature.

I can see how it would be really expensive and failure prone to implement mechanically. But if the front wheels were using steer-by-wire, couldn’t the rear wheels use the exact same setup and just be a separate set of addressable wheels in software?

Seems like that would be much cheaper to implement and the majority of the issues to solve would be in software. So OTA updates would be possible to enable new modes, fix issues found, or optimize current functionality.

I wonder if Tesla would do something like that to add the extra wow factor.

 

[firsttruck]

ZF produces steering systems for cars, trucks & buses

Twice the steering power: ZF launches next generation AKC active rear axle steering system in volume production
Latest Generation AKC offers rear steering angle of up to ten degrees
Steer-by-wire" rear axle steering improves agility of longer electric vehicles
2020-Oct-14
https://press.zf.com/press/en/releases/release_20547.html

 

[FutureBoy]

ZF produces steering systems for cars, trucks & buses

Twice the steering power: ZF launches next generation AKC active rear axle steering system in volume production
Latest Generation AKC offers rear steering angle of up to ten degrees
Steer-by-wire" rear axle steering improves agility of longer electric vehicles
2020-Oct-14
https://press.zf.com/press/en/releases/release_20547.html

So I guess that answers my question about simplification.

 

[ldjessee]

I posted this video elsewhere... ZF technology being demonstrated about a year ago...

 

[parapyropig]

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

I’ve been thinking about 4-wheel steering. Given the recent fake videos of the Hummer crab mode, it seems like 4-wheel steering is a relatively popular and marketable feature.

I can see how it would be really expensive and failure prone to implement mechanically. But if the front wheels were using steer-by-wire, couldn’t the rear wheels use the exact same setup and just be a separate set of addressable wheels in software?

Seems like that would be much cheaper to implement and the majority of the issues to solve would be in software. So OTA updates would be possible to enable new modes, fix issues found, or optimize current functionality.

I wonder if Tesla would do something like that to add the extra wow factor.

It does make sense but Elon, when asked about steer by wire for the Plaid Model S, said it is a few years off. Then when he said that the CT would have 4-wheel steering the discussion logically turned back to steer by wire. As you say, anything mechanical is problematic. And it might also solve our concerns about the yoke steering wheel.