Distance driving can be mind-numbingly boring, but looking away from the road to text or change songs is a life-or-death gamble. Plus, buttons embedded in the wheel only control a fraction of a car's functionality. Now German researchers have a wheel prototype that puts everything within reach -- no glancing needed. The team came up with the idea for a multi-touch steering wheel interface while thinking about driving and mobile technology.
Their prototype is made from 11-millimeter-thick clear acrylic ringed in infrared LEDs. An infrared camera attached to the bottom picks up the reflections made when the surface is touched. A driver can control a radio or navigate a map with simple movements along the surface. Those gestures can be made with the thumbs while still gripping the wheel and looking at the road. To identify intuitive gestures, the researchers conducted a study asking participants what movements they'd make for each of 20 commands.
More information:
http://news.discovery.com/autos/steering-wheel-interface-driving-110606.html
More information:
http://news.discovery.com/autos/steering-wheel-interface-driving-110606.html