Creating Tactile Interaction Surfaces for the Origo Steering Wheel Concept using CWI and EHWs

Abstract

Haptics, one of the key interaction modalities, is often over-looked as it is considered non-functional in a vibration heavy environment, such as a moving vehicle. However, modern techniques of generating, mediating, and delivering tactile feedback have greatly improved in the last five years. Localizing techniques such as Constructive Wave Interference (CWI) and mediation technique of Embedded Haptic Waveguides (EHWs) can be combined to create reliable and consistent tactile output in even the most challenging environments. In this research authors utilize these techniques to create tactile feedback zones on the steering wheel, which can be used to relay haptic signals to the driver with little to no visual demand.