Sensory Steering Wheel That Reduces Driver Distraction Developed By JLR
Jaguar Land Rover R&D division, in partnership with Glasgow University, has created a ‘sensory steering wheel’, parts of which can be quickly heated and cooled to inform drivers where to turn, when to change lane or to warn of an approaching junction. This could be particularly useful when visibility is reduced through poor weather or the layout of the road.
The technology has also been applied to the gear-shift paddles to indicate when hand over from the driver to autonomous control in future self-driving vehicles is complete.
Driver distraction is a major contributor to road accidents around the world and accounts for 10 percent of all fatal crashes in the USA alone*. Jaguar Land Rover’s research suggests thermal cues could be a way to keep drivers fully focused on the road.
The cues work on both sides of the steering wheel, indicating the direction to turn by rapidly warming or cooling one side by a difference of up to 6oC. For comfort, a driver could adjust the range of temperature change.
Alexandros Mouzakitis, Jaguar Land Rover Electrical Research Senior Manager, said: “The ‘sensory steering wheel’ is all part of this vision, with thermal cues able to reduce the number of time drivers have to take their eyes off the road.
“Research has shown people readily understand the heating and cooling dynamics to denote directions and the subtlety of temperature change can be perfect for certain feedback that doesn’t require more intrusive audio or vibration-based cue.”
The Jaguar Land Rover-funded research is part of a Ph.D. study undertaken by Patrizia Di Campli San Vito at Glasgow University as part of its Glasgow Interactive Systems Research Section (GIST).s
