Design and Development of a Tactile Takeover Warning System Using a Tactile Seat for Automated Driving

Designing an effective takeover warning system is crucial for driving safety in conditionally automated vehicles. Given the advantages of the tactile modality in presenting takeover requests (TORs), this study designed and developed a seat-based tactile takeover warning system. A directional tactile TOR was used to instruct drivers on how to respond in various takeover scenarios. Additionally, the urgency of the tactile TOR was dynamically mapped to the time to collision with the hazard ahead, helping drivers perceive their proximity to the hazard. To evaluate the effectiveness of this novel takeover warning system, we recruited 24 participants and conducted a simulated driving study under varying levels of takeover event urgency and weather conditions. The results indicated that the developed tactile takeover warning system significantly reduced drivers' takeover time, regardless of the urgency level or weather condition. Therefore, this system has strong potential to enhance takeover performance and merits adoption by relevant practitioners.