Haptic Skin Stretch on a Steering Wheel for Displaying Preview Information in Autonomous Cars

Lateral skin stretch is a promising technology for haptic display of information between an autonomous or semi-autonomous car and a driver. We present the design of a steering wheel with an embedded lateral skin stretch display and report on the results of tests (N=10) conducted in a driving vehicle in suburban traffic. Results are generally consistent with previous results utilizing skin stretch in stationary applications, but a slightly higher, and particularly a faster rate of stretch application is preferred for accurate detection of direction and approximate magnitude.