Today’s ‘tact’ of using haptics, ADAS, and Electronic/electrical Architectures (EEA) in automobiles is progressive. The latest advance Adaptive Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), like intuitively changing speed, automatic collision brakes, steering lane support, and numerous other driver safety mechanisms make driving safe. Part of Haptic technology and ADAS assists drivers with advanced closed-loop systems.
Haptics confirms user inputs and various touch/vibration feedback. While implementing haptics, electromechanical engineers are mindful of the intensity, placement, and type of haptics they select. In this blog, we cover how modern Haptics and ADAS are making driving safer.
Haptic and ADAS: Automobile Piezoelectric Actuators
Tactile-based ADAS and haptic warning systems are making headways in modern cars. Haptics are passive, like mechanical ones, and actively use electric actuators. Car infotainment systems, dashboard touchscreens, seatbelts, car pedals, car front glasses, and invisible buttons/sliders are installed with piezoelectric sensors. Key areas of piezoelectric sensors:
Figure 1: Different Types of Piezoelectric Actuators
An inertia measurement unit (IMU) device for cars like the ones from TDK helps improve the images provided by various ADAS sensors such as LiDAR, cameras, and radars. Automobile Human-Machine Interface (HMI) includes software and hardware to assist car drivers with automatic digital interactions. Voice directives, hand indicators, and other haptic responses are becoming part of car HMIs.
ADAS Features
Keeping drivers safe in their car cabins is essential for the automobile industry. Car electronics, interiors, and ADAS safety systems have recently seen a major revamp. Advanced Driver Assistance System in cars comes in various levels. Depending upon the autonomy of the human-machine interface, ADAS are divided into levels 1 to 5, with level 5 being the most autonomous. ADAS is a unifying term that includes airbags, seat belt not fastened alert/mechanism, anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic stability brakes, hill assist, lane change assist, blind spot monitoring, driver drowsiness detection, intelligent speed adaptation, cruise control, and other warnings/alerts/systems. 360-degree radar systems, automotive night vision, traffic sign recognition, and automatic parking are the many controls under ADAS.
Top OEMs in the Industrial Haptic and ADAS Space
Key manufacturers in the Haptics and ADAS space are developing realistic touch haptics and finer surface feedback sensors. This includes ADAS and haptic products, devices, and User Interfaces (UI).
- 3D Systems Corporation: It is an international organization that produces haptic device (s), like the Touch™, for OEMs for collision detection, compact force feedback, and position sensing.
- Haption: A France-based haptic technology manufacturer makes force-feedback systems and haptic rendering software.
- Immersion Corporation: It is a U.S.-based company that delivers quality haptic experiences for developing fantastic products. Their broad range of solutions includes tools and software for device developers, haptic hardware businesses, and designers.
- Johnson Electric Holdings Limited: Haptic Actuators and motors by Johnson Electric Holdings Limited enhance the realism of touch screens and applications.
- Microchip Technology Inc.: The company builds automatic Haptic control applications for automobile center consoles, smart buttons, and knobs.
- ON Semiconductor Corporation: The company manufactures high-performance LiDAR, CMOS imaging, sensor fusion algorithms, and more for automobiles to keep passengers safe.
- Bosch Mobility: It has introduced smart driver assistance systems like interior sensing, infrared 1.5 driving monitoring cameras, cabin sensing camera, environment detection, and more.
- Denso Japan: The company has an advanced safety system- Global Safety Package 3- that connects its ADAS products to HMI.
- Magna International (U.S.): It has advanced thermal sensing, Reverse Autonomous Emergency Braking (R-AEB), and mirror-integrated driver occupant monitoring systems. The company makes a range of sensors like radar belts, cabin sensors, imaging radar systems, and exterior 77GHz radars. ClearView™ Interior Mirror, ClearView™ Hybrid outside mirror, and ClearView™ camera wing aim at providing path-breaking driver safety, experience, and convenience.
Other Happenings in High-End Automobiles
- Car interiors, materials, and digitalization in automobiles are changing fast. High-end automobile companies like BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Stellantis are in the process of producing next-generation automobiles. BMW launched a new IDrive, Digital Emotional Experience (DEE), and HMI. The multi-function steering wheel navigation pad will have haptic technology integrated into it.
- Stellantis has charted the Dare Forward 2030 strategy, under which the company will roll out software/data to automakers & startups. This aligns with the vision of bringing transformation, advanced ADAS tech, and freedom/ease in the mobility domain. Some time back, they built contactless controls that work mid-air and give haptic feedback to the driver/passenger’s hand for command confirmation.
- Mid-air haptics / Ultra-sound built by Ultraleap allows the driver and passengers to control various functions, such as navigation, infotainment, etc., with natural hand gestures and hand sensations using virtual touch haptic technology.
- Nissan has built ADAS with enhanced collision-avoidance performance and ground truth perception technology.
Original Equipment Suppliers in Haptic and ADAS
Original Equipment Suppliers (OES) like Bosch, Continental, Qualcomm, Samsung Harman, Amazon, and Google are manufacturing next-level automobile haptics.
- RideCare Companion and AI Shield by Bosch takes indoor and outdoor images and stores them automatically. The camera also checks if an object is blocking the view, and then the driver gets notified.
- Continental’s Curved Ultrawide Display is combined with a seamless control display that is visible only when needed. The haptic feedback and pillar-to-pillar display provide precise and safe control without the driver needing to take their eyes off the road.
- Qualcomm’s Software Defined Vehicles (SDV) become a reality with Snapdragon Digital Chassis solutions. Many in-vehicle new-age infotainment (IVI), ADAS, and other elements are connected to the multiple zonal gateways supporting cloud-mixed workloads.
Figure 2: Qualcomm’s Software Defined Vehicles (SDV)
- Bosch is offering their SDV software to automotive companies. The feedback in vibrations, motion, and force make the journey of connected automobiles a reality.
- In collaboration with Harman, Samsung has built Ready Care that recognizes the physical and dynamic state of the driver, haptic-all alerts the driver, and changes the car conditions accordingly. The real-time alerts are customized according to the situation, and the driver is alerted by subsequent changes in audio volume, car lights, and A/C.
Common Automobile Haptic and ADAS Features
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW): The driver is alerted with an automatic haptic alert if they drift away from their lane.
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC): With front and rear sensors, the ACC haptic feature monitors nearby vehicles’ vehicle speed and distance and adaptively controls the vehicle speed when needed.
- Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM): When the driver is changing lanes, in case of vehicles in the driver’s blind spot, the driver gets automatic haptic-based alerts.
- Forward Collision Warning (FCW): If vehicles, people, or obstacles are in the front, the driver is alerted to possible hazards/accidents.
- Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): AEB works to detect any possible collisions and automatically applies the brake to prevent collision.
- Drivers’ Drowsiness Alert: Drowsiness can lead to fatal accidents on the road. Among the total 42,939 road fatalities in America (2021), 684 were due to sleepiness. A drowsiness alert on the steering wheel helps control such accidents.
High Beam Alerts, Rear Cross Traffic Alerts, and many other common haptics are now available in passenger cars.
Figure 3: Multimodal HMI
Haptic and ADAS Influence in Automobiles
- Improved multimodal driving experience for drivers and passengers
- Increased safety on the road and while parking
- Taking the stress away from urban driving
- Elevated in-car experience of drivers with haptic feedback
- Improved awareness for car owners and connected experience
Haptic Technology: Patents and Innovations in the Automotive Field
According to Stellarix Research, from 2021 to 2023, some 4.1 million patents have been filed in the automotive technology field. ADAS and Haptics are emerging fields; hence, OEM, OES, and automobile companies collaborate to research and develop the best customer experiences.
| S. No. | Emerging | Accelerating | Maturing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Voice activity detection | RAID transmission error detection | Stereoscopic video coding |
| 2. | Haptic feedback interfaces | Projector-camera system | Digital image interpolation |
| 3. | AMOLED touch displays | Hyperspectral imaging | Distributed RAID drives |
| 4. | Quantum LEDs | Flexible OLED displays | Tactile feedback devices |
| 5. | Non-volatile flash memory | solid-state imaging devices | Power MOSFET SMPS |
| 6. | Wafer defect inspection | Automated profile matching | Resistive touch displays |
| 7. | Multiple access memory arrays | Graphic controllers | Light emitting switches |
| 8. | Carbon nanotube FETs | Photonic integrated circuits | Predictive video coding |
| 9. | GPU accelerators | Tactile displays | Smart remote controls |
| 10. | Grid computing | Display device shift registers | Radio-remote control |
| 11. | Heterogeneous computing | ECC memory | HDMI protocol interface |
| 12. | Aural exciters | Powerline internet | SSD memory devices |
| 13. | In-memory computing | Neuromorphic computing | 3D navigation interfaces |
| 14. | Network on-a-chip | Photovoltaic cell testing | Digital watermarking |
Haptic Technology: Implementation of Automobile
Haptic technology was first used in the motorbike game Moto-Cross in 1976 and ADAS in 1970 with the anti-lock braking system. Since then, haptics have been applied in electronics, virtual reality, and automobiles. Special care must be paid when executing tactile, kinesthetic, or AR/VR haptics. Apple Car Play and Android Auto are revamped with more add-on features like climate change and advanced navigation. The most crucial part of quality implementation is the final impact of all the myriad car haptics on the driver.
ADAS implementation is an advanced amalgamation of haptics, sensor technology, software/HMI, 5G/6G, and EEAs. With so many technologies working together, it will be imperative that proper tests are done to avoid non-intended autonomous car warnings and controls.
Conclusion
The three haptics types, feedback, information, and exploration, are keenly used in automobiles today. Some critical haptic and ADAS features, like collision avoidance systems, cruise control, and essential tactile feedback, will become part of most automobiles. Moreover, standardization of sophisticated ADAS will be challenging to achieve as most car owners and technology providers wouldn’t want to lose out on patents and their niche segments.