People with disabilities need modified controls to operate a vehicle. It must be ensured that the car can be safely operated at all times. This includes easy accessibility of gas and brake pedals, turning signals, windshield wipers, lights and the horn. These control elements be reachable without letting go of the steering wheel. Various systems such as steering wheel knobs or gas/brake pedals with integrated control elements are available on the market. With increased networking of car components and the associated discontinuation of relay controls, such control elements must be connected directly with the vehicle’s bus system.
Engberts has developed the handicap controller for this purpose. It picks up the control signals of various control elements located on the steering wheel or the gas/brake pedal and translates them into bus commands for the vehicle.
So far, this system can be used for vehicles made by Mercedes, Audi and VW. Depending on the respective vehicle, the bus connection is established either via LIN or CAN bus (CIA447).
Wherever additional electronics, such as retrofitted auxiliary heating systems, control and display elements in driving school cars or the like, need to be integrated in the bus system of the vehicle.
