Enhancing Overland Driving Experience with Haptic Navigation
During this research project I explored the challenges faced by drivers when navigating off-road terrain using visual navigation systems, which can distract them from their surroundings and the road. This study investigated whether the traditional visual navigation system can be replaced by a haptic navigation system, integrated within the steering wheel. Focused on overlanding.
2023
During this research, a pilot tests to design the appropriate haptic effects and understand the impact of steering wheel shape, on the user experience, were done. Subsequently, a VR user test was conducted to evaluate the user experience of the three different scenarios. A visual-only navigation system, an haptic-only navigation system , and a combined visual-haptic navigation system scenario.
The VR driving environment was recorded in a forest near Eindhoven, this to create a realistic VR off-road driving environment. A 1976 Land Rover Range Rover Classic and GoPro Max were used to create this driving environment.
The design
Two high torque brushless motors were used to create the haptic effect. The haptic effect consisted of a 1.5s turning pulse 10 and 3 second before each intersection, indicating the direction the car would take. Before each left turn, the left motor initiated an outward rotation, before each right turn, the right motor initiated an outward rotation. When maintaining driving straight at an intersection, both controllers turned inwards.
However...
To obtain more accurate results and ensure a more realistic and practical evaluation, further research in a field or more of a realistic lab test setting should be condutced. This ensures that the test setup aligns more with the real-world conditions, creating a more comprehensive understanding of the subject.
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