Overview
Mobility is an important factor in our everyday lives. Therefore, new, advanced systems of human-technology interaction should be developed to make mobility safer, more comfortable and reliable. Semi-automated vehicles have the potential to make driving easier, especially for older people or people with physical disabilties.
The project aims to make semi-automated vehicles intuitive, simple and safe. This should enable average drivers, but also older and younger people as well as people with disabilities to drive the vehicle. The central aspect is the development of steering gestures, as they have evolved in nature in the interaction between rider and horse. A horse at the long reins follows the commands of the rider, but chooses the safest way independently.
When a vehicle can be steered without any mechanical effort by means of an intuitive steering wheel, driving becomes easier and safer for any type of driver. For people with disabilities, this also creates the opportunity to drive independently.
The system developed in the project captures a driving situation and offers a sensible selection of manoeuvres, which are selected by intuitive steering gestures, such as a wiping gesture on the steering wheel, and then automatically implemented. Examples include changing lanes, turning or parking.