Safety in the palm of drivers’ hands
Jaguar Land Rover has developed a ‘sensory steering wheel’ that could help keep motorists safer in difficult driving conditions.
Developed in partnership with Glasgow University, the steering wheel 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 in poor weather or when the layout of the road has changed.
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.
Studies have shown temperature-based instructions could also be used for non-urgent notifications such as a warning when fuel is running low.
Alexandros Mouzakitis, Jaguar Land Rover electrical research senior manager, said, ‘Safety is a number one priority for Jaguar Land Rover and we are committed to continuously improving our vehicles with the latest technological developments as well as preparing the business for a self-driving future.
‘The ‘sensory steering wheel’ is all part of this vision, with thermal cues able to reduce the amount 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 a more intrusive audio or vibration-based cue.’
