The future is now: SpaceDrive® in practice

Agriculture

To be able to operate successfully in modern agriculture, vehicle solutions need to offer companies 100% reliability. Not only does agricultural machinery have to work efficiently, but safety is also becoming a key factor, especially where farmed land borders public roads.

With individual configurations founded on SpaceDrive technology, numerous processes can be reliably optimized. From sowing to harvesting, SpaceDrive gives farmers maximum freedom in their cabin configuration: with or without steering wheel, optionally with a joystick or in remote control mode.

Heavy-duty vehicles

When the heavy vehicle is moving–in rough terrain, when extracting raw materials or on large construction sites–the ease of movement offered by SpaceDrive is a massive advantage. Especially in hazardous areas or when carrying out dangerous work, having people behind the wheel should be avoided wherever possible.

But automated or teleoperated driving is just one possible scenario. Even where a manned cab is inevitable, SpaceDrive technology offers many advantages: Precision keeps you in control even in the tightest of spaces, high flexibility when customizing the vehicles, improved safety thanks to redundant system components and simply more space in the cab thanks to the space left by the former mechanical steering column.

Platooning solution at Oslo Airport

Logistics and special vehicles

With its innovative solutions, Schaeffler ByWire represents new levels of freedom in logistics and is already responsible for making many of the benefits of autonomous mobility available in practice.

For example, if multiple vehicles are to be moved synchronously, "platooning" is the solution. This efficient concept has been implemented at Oslo Airport using SpaceDrive. Up to ten vehicles are coupled here for the purposes of snow clearing. While the leading vehicle is controlled by a person, the others follow completely autonomously.

Smart networking is also the foundation for a scalable and future-proof solution. Centralized maintenance of multiple systems is particularly important in the logistics industry. After all, trouble-free operation of the vehicles not only ensures maximum efficiency – it is also an important safety requirement.

Mover powered by SpaceDrive®

SpaceDrive is a key technology for urban mobility. Regardless of the mover platform, SpaceDrive can be individually configured. In conjunction with an automated driving system, it is possible to operate a mover fully autonomously. However, partially automated vehicles also benefit from the advantages of electronic control with SpaceDrive. Electronic systems facilitate fault diagnosis and monitoring, making both maintenance and repair easier. Safety functions such as emergency steering and collision avoidance are improved. In addition, because there is no longer a need for mechanical steering components, more interior space can be created for passengers or cargo.