Sensor-Actuator Supported Implicit Interaction in Driver Assistance Systems

The research trend in the automotive domain is clearly moving from mechanically controlled to computer assisted systems for both vehicle handling and comfort functions. The interaction with these driver information and assistance systems, originally integrated to decrease the cognitive load and to increase the comfort of the driver, is an ever increasing demanding task necessitating high attention on the actual task for operating accurately. This could, however, in turn result in cognitive overload, distraction, and finally operating errors and discontent. Andreas Riener studies the influence of implicit interaction using vibro-tactile actuators as additional sensory channels for car-driver feedback and pressure sensor arrays for implicit information transmission from the driver toward the vehicle. Both sensors and actuators are invisibly and unobtrusively embedded into the car seat. The results of the experiments suggest the use of both vibro-tactile notifications and pressure sensor images to improve vehicle handling performance and to decrease the drivers cognitive workload.