Award-winning steer-by-wire system simplifies digital steering while improving safety and scalability for off-highway machines
Husco took home the Contractors’ Choice Equipment award at the 2026 CONEXPO‑CON/AGG Next Level Awards for its steer-by-wire (SbW) technology, GenSteer—an innovation designed to make digital steering safer and easier for off-highway OEMs to adopt.
Developed by the global manufacturer of hydraulic and electrohydraulic control systems for automotive and off-highway equipment, GenSteer allows machines to seamlessly switch to operator-powered control if a fault occurs, improving fail-functional safety while simplifying system design.
“What the Husco engineering team has done is take a few steps back and consider ‘how do we make this all simple’,” said Simon Yardley, director of business development & corporate marketing at Husco. “Complex systems are difficult to make safe and hard to upgrade. GenSteer, and its recognition by the Next Level Awards judges, signals a shift toward simpler, safer digital steering.”
Traditionally, integrating automated steering into off-highway machines has posed challenges due to bulky, complex hydro-mechanical systems that rely on orbital valves or add-on electro-hydraulic manifolds, both of which require significant space. Full steer-by-wire systems switched things up by offering electronic control, but with a caveat: they were expensive and difficult to implement.
GenSteer, however, offers an innovative solution by using the operator’s input as a “fail-functional power source” to reinvent steering control. If a fault is detected, the system enables a smooth transition to operator-powered control without lags or backup batteries.
In conventional systems, a force-feedback motor recreates the feel of steering, while electro-hydraulics control wheel movement. With GenSteer, the motor transforms into a generator, using operator input to generate electric power to control the hydraulic valve and maintain steering. This streamlined design keeps things simple while maintaining the safety associated with legacy hydro-mechanical systems and lowering costs by eliminating unnecessary controllers and backup electronics.
“The GenSteer platform is designed to start simple and scale with you,” said Ben Holter, product director at Husco. “OEMs don’t need every automation feature on day one to justify the investment. Begin with a compact, compatible steering platform, then add capabilities like lane guidance, return-to-center, and haptic feedback as your needs evolve. It’s a practical on-ramp to Steer-by-Wire—without the heavy bill.”
GenSteer is designed for versatility, making it suitable for construction, agriculture, mining, and material handling operations with minimal integration effort. It allows new steering features to be added quickly and easily via software updates, without costly hardware changes.
By simplifying system design and eliminating complex harnesses, backup batteries, and extra controllers, GenSteer has the potential to play a significant role in advancing machine automation and digital control. The streamlined approach both lowers system complexity and improves operator safety and comfort.
At CONEXPO‑CON/AGG 2026, attendees recognized Husco’s GenSteer system as a major breakthrough in fail-functional steer-by-wire technology, highlighting its easy integration and elegant architecture.
“GenSteer uses smart system integration rather than complex duplication of hardware and software,” according to a press release from CONEXPO-CON/AGG. “It is the world’s first SbW system with safety that you can generate yourself. GenSteer sets a new benchmark for safety, cost, reliability, performance, and control for the next generation of wheeled off-highway equipment.”
Stay updated with the latest developments from companies like Husco by subscribing to our newsletter and following us on LinkedIn.
