Evaluating the effectiveness of haptic feedback on a steering wheel for FCW

The effectiveness of a haptic warning on a steering wheel in an automobile was evaluated in terms of Forward Collision Warning (FCW). An effective warning system is critical for safe driving, especially when the driver is not paying attention to the road. Haptic feedback warning systems have attracted interest because they do not require any extra visual load; warnings are transmitted to the driver using tactile sensation and are not interfered by ambient noise around the vehicle. Twenty-four subjects participated in the study. Experiment was conducted in a virtual reality environment that simulated collision situations involving FCWs. Performance measures that were evaluated in the FCW experiment included the driver's reaction time to the warning signal. The results show that a haptic FCW on the steering wheel can play a supportive role in preventing a collision. We conclude that haptic warning on a steering wheel could be useful for FCWs.