Gadgets, accessories, gps navigation, steering wheel, takara, takara csw

Takara Steering Wheel Has Integrated Navigation

We've been seeing GPS navigation veer away from the traditional dash- or windshield-mounted form factor, like with the rear-view mirror, but now we have the Takara CSW steering wheel that includes the navigation built directly into the steering wheel. Unfortunately, it's not a big, pretty LCD screen, but rather a monochrome display that will give information like turn left, veer right, etc.

This idea does definitely reduce the distractions associated with traditional GPS units, but it does have a downside of not being hard to use mid-turn or when there are a lot turns to be made. The steering wheel also includes the warning system for doors ajar, seat belts, etc. [Navigadget]

4:30 PM on Tue Apr 8 2008
By Travis Hudson
815 views
10 comments

Comments

Isetta at 04:41 PM on 04/08/08
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Wheels are becoming more multifunctional, I just hope they don't try to hang a cup holder on it. My eyes kinda suck at that distance I don't think I could make out a thing on that tiny display.
allenparkpete at 04:48 PM on 04/08/08
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Is it Takata or Takara? I know that Takata makes steering wheels. Never heard of Takara.

oy
Teds at 05:14 PM on 04/08/08
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We need to go all heads up displays like fighter jets.
charles_barrett at 05:27 PM on 04/08/08
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Connectedness Index: 296
Brought to you by Acura TSX

@allenparkpete: Takata. Blame the referenced Navigadget page, which opens with "Takara" then switches to "Takata" in the second paragraph.

I hope this thing talks, since the display is so tiny.
Kuang at 07:01 PM on 04/08/08
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The screen shows an arrow for turn right, so you turn the wheel right, and in doing so turn the arrow even further right... and so on.

There's be lots of Takata equipped cars turning ever decreasing circles through the suburbs until they vanish up their own pipes. Blind satnav trust will be the downfall of humanity.
M0L0TOV at 09:50 PM on 04/08/08
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Yeah, Takara makes videogames.
3wheeler at 02:49 AM on 04/09/08
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er, Airbag?
FreeMan at 10:39 AM on 04/09/08
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took me a while to realize that there was an itty bitty screen in the rim of the wheel. I thought the screen was the large gray area filling the top 1/2 of the wheel.

Yeah, pretty much useless.
Hello_Newman at 11:08 PM on 04/09/08
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It's too small, and anything larger would punch you in the face during airbag deployment. I had a Vette with the HUD, which is nice until you start looking to it all the time and it gets distracting, especially at night. The LCD screen maps are also really distracting to watch, especially when you're lost or not in a familiar area.

What would really be nice is a large LCD screen, and a web based interface to log into the car maker web site and enter your destinations ahead of time and they would be downloaded as presets through something like Onstar.

Then, a button on the steering wheel to check on demand what the next distance and turn is, so the automatic voice system doesn't keep spitting it out. It would be displayed as normal, but you could hit a button anytime to see it's 2.5 miles to the next turn right and so on. I'd much rather to able to check it with an easy button than be in heavy traffic just to find out I got to get in the left lane in too short a distance to actually switch lanes.
SeanC at 03:09 PM on 04/15/08
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Everybody keeps saying that there's no OEM plan for this, but it's actually going to be used in the new BMW 1-series as an accessory. It was part of the European 1-series catalog.
Check it out: [blog.sounddomain.com]

Looks much nicer in the BMW steering wheel than the Chrysler 300!