Morphable Pad Tactile Feedback for Vehicle Control Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern vehicles with touch-sensitive displays lack physical feedback, requiring drivers to divert their gaze from the road to operate various car features, increasing complexity and safety risks due to the need for constant visual attention.
Innovation Solution
A morphable pad and display system that adjusts tactile feedback to match the layout of car controls, allowing users to control car features by touch without needing to look at the display, minimizing the need for multiple controls and optimizing placement for ergonomic convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If touch-sensitive displays are used to replace traditional controls, then the number of physical controls is reduced, but physical feedback to the user is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a physical copy of the virtual interface elements on the morphable pad surface. When a user touches the display, the corresponding region on the morphable pad raises to match the touched element, providing tactile feedback that mirrors the visual interface. This allows users to feel the shape, position, and boundaries of virtual buttons without needing to see the display.
Solution Approach 2:
The morphable pad acts as an intermediary between the touch display and the user's finger. It translates the two-dimensional touch interface into a three-dimensional tactile representation, mediating the interaction by converting visual information into physical form that the user can sense through touch alone.
2Ease of operation
If touch-sensitive displays are used to control car features, then visual attention is required to operate controls, but driver safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The morphable pad provides self-service tactile guidance to the user. The raised regions automatically indicate which areas are interactive and what functions they represent, allowing users to operate controls without visual confirmation. The system serves itself by providing inherent tactile markers that guide interaction without requiring the driver to look at the display.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate controls are provided for each car feature, then control functionality is comprehensive, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The morphable pad serves as a universal control interface that can represent multiple different control layouts and functions. By dynamically changing its surface topology to match the displayed interface, a single morphable pad replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate physical controls for different car features, making the system both space-efficient and functionally comprehensive.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are disclosed for a morphable pad and display configured for tactile control. The system comprises a display for displaying a user interface comprising a layout of vehicle control features. The display is configured to highlight a portion of the layout associated with a received highlight input, and to update the layout based on a received selection input. A morphable pad is connected to the display and comprises an array of switches. Each switch is configured to receive highlight input and selection input. The switches are also configured to adjust in tactile feel to match the layout, and to reconfigure in tactile feel responsive to a change in the layout.