• • • AUTOMOTIVE • • •
Custom ICs enhancing the driving experience
Ross Turnbull, director of business development and product engineering at ASIC design and supply company Swindon Silicon Systems explains the technology behind haptics, and how ASIC integration can take it one step further
“
ouch comes before sight, before speech. It is the first language,” wrote poet and novelist Margaret Atwood. We’ve long interacted with electronic devices using sound and visuals, but what about touch? In the automotive industry, haptic technology is being used as a method of quickly and safely conveying information between car and driver.
T
Haptics may have been implemented as early as the WW2 era. During the war, haptic feedback systems were implemented into aeroplane controls, making the control stick vibrate when the plane was beginning or likely to stall. These vibrations warned pilots and could prompt them into action, ensuring they corrected their flight path to avoid danger. Decades later, haptic feedback became best recognised in another sector — the gaming industry. Many controllers began implementing haptic technology to add an extra layer of immersion to videogames and continue to do so today. Vibrating controllers at specific moments
within games adds another layer of suspense or drama to make the game feel more real, using an additional one of the five senses. And as the automotive sector becomes increasingly digitalised with electric vehicles and a whole host of advanced on-car sensor systems, it’s next on the list to fully unlock the benefits of haptic technology.
Overcoming the
difficulties of driving It’s no secret that driving takes a lot of concentration. The sheer amount of auditory and visual information that we must continuously process as we drive can make the experience somewhat overwhelming. As a result, our eyes and attention can become diverted, impacting reaction times and overall perceptiveness. But haptics offers a new method of communication between driver and vehicle. Rather than being yet another light on the dashboard, or panic-inducing sounding alarm,
36 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • FEBRUARY 2024
communicating through touch can effectively cut through the noise. For example, a car with haptic feedback technology might vibrate its steering wheel to warn you to brake if it thinks you’re getting too close to the vehicle in front. And a sensor that registers your vehicle drifting away from its lane can shake your seat if it thinks your attention is dwindling.
The addition of haptic feedback also means that communication becomes two-way. Early in-car infotainment systems often provided little to no feedback. If you pressed the touchscreen, you might not know whether the input had been registered or not.
This could create more of a distraction, with the
driver’s attention shifting away from the road and onto the screen to check. By offering some kind of tactile response, such as a vibration when you press the ‘button’, the driver knows that the vehicle has recognised their input and can keep their focus where it matters.
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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