A Haptic interface for automobile gearshift design and benchmark

Abstract

Design, ergonomics and haptic feedback are features critical to the development of an eye-catching automobile gearshift. Manufacturers have to design and test a large number of prototypes, with different transmissions, dynamics, etc., before an appealing and marketable solution can be found. This paper introduces a haptic interface for automobile gearshift design and benchmark. It allows automobile gearshift developers to test new models quickly and change most critical design features on the fly in order to find the best possible solution. As a result, traditional trial-and-error methods can be avoided, significantly reducing design costs and time. The system is also a powerful test-bed to perform large-scale studies to analyse key selling features and preferences among customers. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.