Tactile displays for vehicle control : perceptual and behavioral findings

In many vehicle control situations, the operator's eyes and ears may become overloaded. For instance, while talking to our passengers and tuning-in to our favorite radio station, we may not be paying enough attention to the traffic. Many studies have shown that sensory overload may have serious effects on performance and safety. Presenting information via an alternative sensory modality may lessen the risk of visual and auditory overload. This has driven research into the use of the sense of touch to present vehicle control information. For example, vibrating elements in a driver's seat can provide navigation information or collision avoidance warnings. This paper presents an overview of a multi-year research program on tactile displays for vehicle control. We report fundamental studies into the perceptual issues in tactile vehicle control displays, as well applied studies into the behavioral effects of tactile displays on performance and mental workload. Important findings include that tactile displays can improve performance in comparison to visual displays, may result in lower mental effort ratings, and may reduce the detrimental effect of high mental workload on operator performance. The presented results indicate that tactile displays can potentially enhance the safety and performance aspects of the operator-vehicle interaction