Investigating Kinematic Parameters of a Turning Seat as a Haptic and Kinesthetic HMI to Support the Take-Over Request (TOR) in Automated Driving

When driving a conditionally automated vehicle, a haptic signal might be an option in order to facilitate the TOR, since the driver's visual and acoustic modalities may be occupied by non-driving related tasks. Therefore, the driver's seat rotation is examined here as haptic cue in the TOR since, so far, it has not been considered in detail, yet. The turning seat actively turns the driver away from the driving task in AD mode. The modified seating position during AD is intended to support the driver’s Mode Awareness. In the case of a TOR, the driver receives a kinesthetic cue by applying a torque around the vertical axis of his seat, turning him back to the driving task. To investigate the turning seat, a preliminary expert study was conducted. Results show that drivers prefer an eccentric vertical turning axis which leads to a rotation away from the steering wheel.