Page 18 - Autonomous Vehicle Engineering (January 2020)

MaaS

Autonomy’s

‘Pirouetting’ Future

by Stuart Birch

Protean Electric’s novel 360-degree steering and in-wheel
drive systems add new potential for urban mobility.

Designing and engineering a 360-degree steering work started more than a 10 years ago to specifically
capability for a production electric autonomous road meet emerging needs for radical new urban vehicle
vehicle’s four wheels is no mean achievement. But technology combined with autonomous transport
Protean Electric also combines this pirouetting capability visions. These include autonomous passenger cars,
with an in-wheel electric motor, “innovative” suspension light-duty commercial vehicles and other future
and pneumatic ride height control into an all-in-one mobility solutions.
package. Its adroit wheel-at-each-corner module, called Protean Electric particularly anticipated the need
Protean360+, is designed initially for next-generation for moving people and goods in urban areas where
urban mobility pods. But it could also be applied to a parking and maneuvering regular vehicles could
wide variety of other autonomous vehicles. be increasingly challenging. Application of the deft
Development of the 360-degree capability began Protean360+ allows for curbside precision in very
in early 2018. It is the latest element to be added to the tight spaces. Once parked, the module’s pneumatic
company’s ProteanDrive in-wheel system, on which ride control system allows a vehicle to “kneel”, lowering

Protean Electric’s
360-degree steering
system fitted to an au-
tonomous shuttle - one
of a variety of potential
applications.

Protean Electric

16 January 2020 AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ENGINEERING