Shrinking a Bulky Prototype to Fit Inside a Steering Wheel Cover

The Challenge

The client had a working V1 of a safety device. When the driver takes their hands off the wheel, a buzzer alerts them to grab it again. But the V1 board was large and bulky and ran on a cell, so it was zip-tied to the outside of the steering wheel cover. The patent design needed the electronics hidden inside the cover. On top of that, touch had to be detected through a 3 mm rubber layer, which was the hardest part of the project.

What We Did

• Redesigned the schematic from scratch, instead of trying to patch the V1
• Designed a new, much smaller PCB: 18.5 mm × 30.5 mm
• Ordered the boards ourselves
• Tested and assembled everything in-house
• Delivered two finished steering wheel covers to the client

The Result

The electronics now sit inside the cover as the patent design intended. The buzzer alerts the driver when their hands leave the wheel, and touch sensing works through the rubber.

Specs