Comparing Smart Ring and Glove Wearable Interfaces for Takeover Requests in Automated Driving

SAE Level 3 automated vehicles may require drivers to resume control after being engaged in non-driving-related tasks. This study examined wearable vibrotactile takeover requests (TORs) delivered through rings and gloves, compared with a seat-back vibration baseline. Forty licensed drivers completed a driving simulator study using a 5 × 2 × 2 mixed factorial design with device type, TOR structure, and information type as independent variables. In the two-step condition, an auditory pre-warning was followed by a vibrotactile TOR. Results showed that takeover time measured from vibrotactile TOR onset was shorter in the two-step condition than in the single-step condition. No significant main effects of device type or information type on takeover time were observed. For subjective measures, the effect of TOR structure on workload depended on information type. The two-glove and two-ring configurations received the highest mean usefulness ratings, while glove-based configurations received the highest mean satisfaction ratings. Findings support wearable vibrotactile TORs as feasible alternatives for takeover support in automated driving.