Investigating the effect of tactile input and output locations for drivers' hands on in-car tasks performance

Abstract

This paper reports a study investigating the effects of tactile input and output from the steering wheel and the centre console on non-driving task performance. While driving, participants were asked to perform list selection tasks using tactile switches and to experience tactile feedback on either the non-dominant, dominant or both hands as they were browsing the list. Our results show the average duration for selecting an item is 30% shorter when interacting with the steering wheel. They also show a 20% increase in performance when tactile feedback is provided. Our findings reveal that input prevails over output location when designing interaction for drivers. However, tactile feedback on the steering wheel is beneficial when provided at the same location as the input or to both hands. The results will help designers understand the trade-offs of using different interaction locations in the car.