Steering Wheel Grip Indicator for Autonomous-to-Manual Transition
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Solution Overview
Problem
In existing vehicle control systems, occupants may struggle to smoothly transition from autonomous driving mode to manual driving mode due to difficulty in finding the correct area to grip the operation element, leading to inefficient starting of driving operations.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system that includes a steering device, operation element, movement sensor, travel information acquiring unit, grip area setting unit, and indicator, which sets and illuminates a recommended grip area based on travel information and driving mode, ensuring the occupant can easily find the correct grip location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the vehicle switches from autonomous driving mode to manual driving mode, then the occupant needs to take control of the steering wheel, but the occupant may not be able to smoothly start the driving operation because it is difficult to find the area of the operation element to be gripped
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by illuminating the recommended grip area on the steering wheel before the occupant needs to gripp it. When the driving mode is switched from autonomous to manual, the indicator immediately lights up the appropriate grip area based on the current travel information (straight trajectory or turning trajectory), allowing the occupant to instantly locate and grip the correct area without searching, thus reducing the time loss and improving ease of operation
2Ease of operation
If the indicator illuminates the recommended grip area, then the occupant can easily find the correct grip location, but the device complexity increases due to additional indicator control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The indicator control system employs dynamics by adapting its behavior based on the current driving mode and travel information. The control unit dynamically adjusts which areas are illuminated and for how long, depending on whether the vehicle is traveling straight or turning, and whether the mode transition is from autonomous to manual driving. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to provide necessary guidance only when needed, reducing unnecessary complexity while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The indicator control unit acts as an intermediary between the travel control unit and the indicator lights. It receives travel information from the travel control unit and translates it into appropriate illumination patterns on the steering wheel. This intermediary role simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing the control logic and providing a clear interface between the control system and the indication mechanism, thereby managing device complexity effectively
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control system includes: an operation element configured to receive a driving operation by an occupant; a movement sensor configured to detect a movement of the operation element; a travel control unit configured to select a manual driving mode to control a steering device based on a signal from the movement sensor or an autonomous driving mode to control the steering device regardless of the signal from the movement sensor; a travel information acquiring unit configured to acquire travel information of a vehicle; a grip area setting unit configured to set at least one recommended grip area of the operation element based on the travel information of the vehicle; an indicator configured to turn on so as to illuminate the recommended grip area; and an indicator control unit configured to change a control mode of the indicator according to a driving mode selected by the travel control unit.