Jaguar Land Rover tests steering wheel that provides driving directions and other info via heat

Car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover is researching a steering wheel that can provide navigation instructions and other information to the driver by quickly heating up and cooling down. The ‘sensory’ steering wheel must ensure that the driver can keep his eye on the road.

The steering wheel that Jaguar Land Rover developed in collaboration with the University of Glasgow is connected to the navigation system. It heats up when the driver needs to turn left or right and change lanes, but can also warn of intersections and roads with limited visibility. According to Jaguar Land Rover, the new technology will lead to less distraction among motorists, because they have to take their eyes off traffic less often.

The thermal hints work on both sides of the handlebar and are achieved by rapidly heating or cooling one side to a difference of six degrees Celsius. The driver can adjust the range of the temperature change for more comfort. Jaguar Land Rover also applied the technology to the shift levers during the study, to indicate in future cars when the transition from driver control to autonomous driving is complete.

According to the car manufacturer, instructions based on temperature differences can also be used for non-emergency notifications, for which vibrations are often too disturbing. Think of a low fuel level or approaching sights. Thermal cues could also replace audio feedback, says Jaguar Land Rover, as spoken messages are often experienced as distracting during conversations or while listening to music.

The Jaguar Land Rover-funded research is linked to a PhD study by a student at the Glasgow Interactive Systems Research Section, or GIST, at the University of Glasgow. It is not known whether and when the sensory steering wheel will actually be taken into production.