Haptic feedback of front car motion can improve driving control

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that haptic feedback of front vehicle motion via a robotic interface enhances driving control and reduces mental load in simulated car-following tasks, suggesting benefits for automated driving safety.

Contribution

It introduces a novel haptic feedback method for conveying front vehicle motion, showing its effectiveness in improving driving performance and safety in simulation.

Findings

Haptic feedback reduces motion jerk and deviation from the road.

Haptic feedback decreases mental load during driving.

Significant improvements observed with haptic feedback in simulated environment.

Abstract

This study investigates the role of haptic feedback in a car-following scenario, where information about the motion of the front vehicle is provided through a virtual elastic connection with it. Using a robotic interface in a simulated driving environment, we examined the impact of varying levels of such haptic feedback on the driver's ability to follow the road while avoiding obstacles. The results of an experiment with 15 subjects indicate that haptic feedback from the front car's motion can significantly improve driving control (i.e., reduce motion jerk and deviation from the road) and reduce mental load (evaluated via questionnaire). This suggests that haptic communication, as observed between physically interacting humans, can be leveraged to improve safety and efficiency in automated driving systems, warranting further testing in real driving scenarios.