2020-2022

Driving by Touch: The Art and Science of Automotive Haptics 

Haptics in cars refers to the use of tactile feedback to communicate information to the driver and enhance the user experience. Essentially, it's about incorporating the sense of touch into the car's human-machine interface (HMI). This can involve vibrations, pressure, or other physical sensations that drivers can feel.

Why Haptics in Cars?

The increasing complexity of in-car infotainment systems and the shift towards touchscreens have led to a challenge: drivers often have to take their eyes off the road to confirm their input. Haptics aims to address this by providing a tactile confirmation, allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road and reduce distraction.

How Haptics is Used in Cars:

Haptic feedback is integrated into various parts of a vehicle:

• Steering Wheels: The steering wheel can vibrate to alert the driver of potential collisions, lane departures, or when the vehicle is in reverse gear.

• Infotainment Systems/Touchscreens: Haptic feedback confirms when a selection has been made on a touchscreen, making it easier for drivers to navigate menus without looking directly at the screen. This can simulate the feeling of a physical button click.

• Seats: Haptic seats can vibrate or move in specific ways to alert drivers to dangers like drifting from a lane or getting too close to objects while parking. They can also be used for driver fatigue warnings.

• Gear Shifters: Some modern cars use haptics in rotary gear selectors to provide tactile feedback when changing gears.

• Pedals: While less common, haptic feedback can be integrated into pedals to provide warnings or guidance.

Types of Haptic Feedback:

The primary types of haptic feedback used in cars include:

• Vibrotactile Feedback: This is the most common, using vibrations to stimulate the user's skin. Small motors or actuators create these vibrations.

• Force Feedback: This involves motors that manipulate the movement of a control, like a steering wheel, to replicate forces encountered during driving (e.g., resistance when turning at high speeds).

• Tactile Feedback: This broad category includes vibrotactile and can also encompass sensations of texture or cues through vibration patterns.

• Electrotactile Feedback: Uses electrical current to stimulate skin nerves, potentially simulating a wider range of sensations. (Less common in mainstream automotive applications currently).

• Thermal Feedback: Involves the use of heat or cold to create a tactile sensation (e.g., in climate-controlled seats).

Benefits of Haptics in Cars:

• Enhanced Safety: By providing information through touch, haptics can reduce driver distraction, allowing them to keep their eyes on the road. Haptic warnings can be perceived faster than visual or auditory alerts in some situations.

• Improved User Experience: Haptics makes interactions with in-car systems more intuitive and comfortable, providing a sense of confirmation and control.

• Reduced Errors: Tactile feedback can help drivers make accurate selections on touchscreens, reducing the chance of accidental inputs.

• Accessibility: Haptic technology can offer alternative ways for visually or auditory impaired individuals to interact with vehicle systems.

Challenges and the Future of Haptics in Cars:

While haptics offers significant advantages, there have been instances of poor implementation leading to negative user experiences (e.g., some early touch-sensitive steering wheel controls). The challenge lies in creating haptic feedback that is clear, intuitive, and not distracting.

The future of haptics in the automotive industry is promising:

• Growing Market: The automotive haptic feedback system market is projected to grow significantly.

• Integration with Advanced Systems: As autonomous driving technology advances, haptics will play a crucial role in conveying changes in driving status and providing alerts.

• Personalization: Future systems may allow drivers to customize the intensity, frequency, and pattern of haptic feedback to suit their preferences.

• Multimodal Interaction: Haptics will increasingly be integrated with visual (head-up displays) and auditory feedback to create more comprehensive information perception.

• Sophisticated Actuators: Advances in actuators, like piezoelectric elements and voice coil motors, will enable more precise, varied, and responsive haptic sensations.

In essence, haptics is transforming how drivers interact with their vehicles, moving towards a more intuitive, safer, and immersive driving experience.

We developed a patented technology related to piezoceramics, cover lens and method of fabricating.

Link to Google Patent