Driving has been getting easier since Alfred Vacheron invented the steering wheel. But all the sensors and active systems fitted to a modern vehicle still can’t solve the real-time trigonometric puzzle of backing up while towing a trailer.
Until now, that is. Power-steering-system producer ZF Lenksysteme in Germany, a joint venture between ZF and Bosch, has developed what it calls “Smart Trailer Parking,” a remote-control system that enables you to maneuver a coupled load via an Android app. Although it’s currently at the prototype stage, we’re assured there are no major technical impediments to putting it into a production vehicle. The biggest hurdle might be legal: As with the use of autonomous cars, the system would require local laws allowing you to operate a vehicle without sitting in it.
The parking system stems from the ability of ZF’s electric power-steering modules to work autonomously. The demo system is fitted to a BMW 535i and is wired into the car’s engine, gearbox, braking, and power-steering controllers. A Bluetooth connection allows all the controllers to communicate with a tablet running the app.
By itself, that just provides the ability to maneuver the car at low speed while you’re not in it. The clever part is the addition of a position sensor that’s integrated into the car’s hitch. This measures the angle of the trailer relative to the car and, through some basic math, enables a vehicle to maintain a chosen pivot angle when reversing a trailer, with no need for the operator to twirl the wheel back and forth to get it right.
 |  1 The Smart Trailer Parking app interface is simple—there’s drive, reverse, park, and a choice of speed. Hare is 2.5 mph, tortoise is 1.2, and snail is 0.6, with speeds halved in reverse. The car moves when you touch the screen, and stops when you remove your finger. 2  When moving forward, you steer by sliding the car on-screen. When backing up, you slide the trailer. Maximum steering angle currently is 35 degrees, but the system can work at up to 45. ZF might offer an override allowing higher angles for ultra-low-speed maneuvering. |  |
It works impressively well. For our demo, ZF set up a coned “garage” about two feet wider than our trailer. Sitting in the driver’s seat, we approached at a 30-degree angle and needed three forward-and-back shuffles to get the trailer straightened. We also backed it through the rear “wall” on our first attempt. Using the app meant we could walk alongside the trailer to see exactly what was happening in back, all the while steering by moving a finger across the screen. The trailer slotted in on the first try.
Of course, some drivers will prefer to do things the old-fashioned way—you know, with actual, hard-earned skill. But for the less experienced, or those who haven’t towed before, it’s easy to see the appeal.
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Pent-Up Demand
11,049,059 - Number of light-duty trailers in the U.S., according to the most recent Department of Transportation data. Not all states require all trailers to be registered, though, so this figure is likely a bit low.
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