How a Linear Actuator Can Upgrade Your Car
Both your car interior and exterior offer immense opportunities for customization – with an electric linear actuator, you can do many things, indeed. Do not worry if you have little to no experience handling these items. They are easy-to-manage and even a newbie can handle them, with some guides and patience.
Actuators Are Already Used in Your Car
Actuators are used in the majority of components of your car. So, in the car engine, an electric actuator is responsible for:
- Engine idle control
- Power take-off operations
- Torque and power optimization
Linear actuators are responsible for the control of fuel flow, the supply of fresh air, and the recirculation of exhaust gas. If you think now that the car’s engine works based on the actuator’s operation, you are right.
Along with the engine, linear actuators are responsible for many automation options of your vehicle. However, if you believe that it is not sufficient for the optimal functionality, a telescopic linear actuator will help you to automate your vehicle in a way you have always wanted to.
Interior Automation
It depends on the car interior whether your trips are going to be comfortable. Therefore, it is worth paying special attention to all the interior elements.
Seat and headrest adjustment matters to boost your driving or passenger experience. Make sure the seats are adjusted for you to feel comfortable and be able to reach all the car controls (when driving) without effort.
The car ventilation system also depends on linear actuators to make your trips comfortable.
If you want to boost the comfort level of your vehicle, you might consider equipping the car seats with a massage function (yes, the same linear actuators are used to do so! They activate the air cushions to give you and your passengers a massage).
Along with seats and the conditioning system, you might want to be entertained while traveling. What about installing a TV lift in your car? Well, the device will be smaller than the one you would install in your living room, but an opportunity to watch a movie or a cartoon will for sure make every trip more pleasant and relaxed, especially if you travel with kids.
A telescopic actuator installed in front of passenger seats solves the boredom issue once and forever. Fix it to lower the screen to watch a favorite movie comfortably, and to lift the device to the car top when not in use. Cover the wiring with the car lining, and you’ll get the most comfortable and the safest TV lift ever.
Trunk Automation
Even if you use a manually managed car, you can automate at least those functionalities that do not require the intrusion of a specialist. What about trunk automation? While many people put up with walking around the car with bags or in rain in an effort to lift the trunk cover, it is possible to automate the trunk by installing a couple of linear actuators. In the extended position, they’ll keep the trunk open, and moreover, you can open and close it with a single push of a button on your remote control. No more touching the cold, wet or dirty metal – arrange your things or take them out easily and comfortably.
What Else Can Be Automated?
Well, you can automate just anything. However, for some projects, you might need special knowledge or assistance from somebody who knows how a car operates. Here is the list of just some automation projects that can upgrade your vehicle:
- You can automate the car’s windows
- The vehicle doors can be automated, too
- The lights can be made adjustable with mini-actuators
RV Can Also Benefit from Automation Projects
For RV owners, automation offers a lot of ideas. Those are especially valuable if you own an RV and you love traveling. So, you can install a lift bed inside of the RV. In the daytime, you just lift it up and enjoy the entire RV space inside. In the nighttime, your bed goes down, and you can rest as if you have never left your home.
Along with a lift bed, you can arrange inside the entire set of foldable furniture. So, fixing a lift table and foldable chairs is not an issue as long as you use linear actuators to automate them. When the day comes, you just lift and unfold them, and at night, they are hidden, and the bed takes its place inside.
As you can see, you do not need to suffer from discomfort every time you leave home, nor do you have to sacrifice any part of your well-arranged comfortable life.
For those who have elderly or disabled family members, automating a special lift is the matter of providing their close ones with the required comfort. To handle the project, you need to have the lift and a couple of powerful actuators (they have to support the weight of a person and the wheelchair).
Whatever Project You Are Doing, Choose Actuators Carefully
Make sure you do not compromise the quality of actuators. Whether the project is for entertainment such as a TV lift or for those who need special attention (a wheelchair lift) make sure the actuators are able to handle it properly. This is the main reason why we recommend purchasing these items from a reliable manufacturer because you and your passengers’ security depend on it.
- Make sure the actuators are suitable for lifting the required weight.
- The stroke length of the items is sufficient to make the installation work as required.
- The blocking function is available – you can consider it as a security boost to the entire system.
Bottom Line
There are many ways to automate your vehicle (doesn’t matter which one) with telescopic linear actuators. While for some projects, you’d need to hire a specialist, others can be handled by you only. Just make sure you read the instructions attentively and find a reliable and detailed enough guide on the project you want to implement.
About the Author
Hayley Mann is a technology enthusiast specializing in automation methods of ergonomics devices. Her engineering background helps her to create interesting articles on technical topics, making them understandable for all readers.