Vehicle steering-wheel assembly including means for communicating by emitting and receiving light

A steering wheel assembly that attaches to a dashboard of a vehicle, said steering wheel assembly (1) comprising:

• a steering wheel (2) that is substantially circular and having a rim (3), and a stationary mounting element, said steering wheel (2) being configured so as to be movable in rotation with respect to said dashboard and said stationary mounting element,
• the steering wheel (2) including a plurality of light-emitting sources (20) that emit light in a manner that constitutes data frames, said light-emitting sources (20) being distributed in a substantially uniform manner along a surface of the steering wheel (2) and spaced apart from each other in a manner such that, when the steering wheel is gripped by one or two hands of a driver during operation of the vehicle, at least one of said light-emitting sources (20) remains uncovered by the one or two hands of the driver;
• and
• a first plurality of sensors (10), secured to said stationary mounting element, said sensors (10) being configured so that each of said sensors (10) is capable of receiving and registering light emitted by any of said light-emitting sources (20),
• said light-emitting sources (20) and said sensors (10) being configured to form a continuous communication channel in order to enable exchanges of data between the steering wheel (2) and the first plurality of sensors (10).