UTV Steering Wheel
Leveraging the client’s patent and expertise as a grocery store owner. Harbor was tasked to develop and design a prototype cart extender. Extensive research on functionality and ergonomics were considered initially then moving into industrial design came 2nd. This steering wheel prototype was created for customers to see the potential technology and advances we could co-develop together. It features sensors, lights, and a modular design that allows the customer to customize their vehicle platform and technology needs.
Sensors are in the grip area to confirm that a user has their hands on the wheel to either have a youth mode or limit the speed a driver can go. The lights can create some sort of indication, light up the cab or be a color to fit a vehicle color. The wheel has also been designed as a modular platform to have the ability to have a “good, better, best” design and allow users to upgrade from a plain wheel, to a wheel with controls.
Client | IMMI R&D for Polaris
Role | Industrial Design, Mechanical Design Liaison
Video Done by Marketing Team at IMMI.
A ton of concept sketches and rendering were created in order to showcase to the team the different options we could take for a design direction.
When it came down to the final design it was built based on one sketch and idea that it must be simple to prototype type and still look good. So the bigger center hub was desired to fit the electronics within. The ability to have a basic wheel that can be upgraded to an advanced wheel was the next consideration.
Being able to upgrade the wheel to a better or best option after purchasing the good wheel meant that controls had to be added separately. So the add-on buttons or auxiliary controls could all be snapped in at a later time. The lighting controls acted as a trim piece initially, but can be transformed with a light pipe trim piece later.
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