In order to examine the use of proprioceptive-tactual information signals, an experiment was conducted in a fixed-base driving simulator. The driver had to initiate a lane change manoeuvre, which can be described by an "open-loop control" behaviour. During the manoeuvre a warning signal occurs which informs the driver to stay in the right lane. This stops open-loop control and transfers it to closed-loop control. Different proprioceptive-tactual signal cues via the active steering wheel (for instance short vibrating torque shift, short steady torque shift) were compared with an auditory signal cue as the control condition. The results show that proprioceptive-tactual feedback can be used to stop open-loop mode driving behaviour, and that the steering wheel as an active control device supports the driver in his/her driving task.
Samenvatting