"Building Better Cars," ME Online Web Exclusive, May 14, 2003

for 5/14/03

Building Better Cars

by Gayle
Ehrenman,
Associate Editor

The Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute at Loughborough University in England was instrumental in helping Ford develop the Third Age Suit (profiled in the April issue of Mechanical Engineering magazine). But their interest in engineering ergonomically safe vehicles doesn't stop there.

Research into improving the safety, effectiveness, control and comfort of transportation is the ongoing mission of the Institute's Transport Technology Ergonomics Centre (TTEC).

TTEC undertakes applied research and provides ergonomics and human factors expertise in the transport sector to companies, such as Ford, as well as to governmental public safety organizations, such as the U.K. Department For Transport. Some of TTEC's ongoing projects address driver information systems, driver support systems, vehicle cab and seating design.

TTEC's Vivid project is meant to address the overwhelming amount of on-board information drivers now receive.

According to TTEC, there is a danger that drivers who should be devoting maximum attention to the driving task will be distracted by large volumes of un-prioritized information. The goal of the VIVID project is to create a software tool that will allow the realistic design, testing and evaluation of the form and function of multiple automotive information systems within a simulated driving environment. The tool will enable researchers to generate new knowledge for integrated systems design. It will also be available for vehicle and system developers to try out potential design options.

The tactile sense is commonly under-used and under-valued in vehicle design and limited guidance is available to designers on physical controls that minimize the need for vision. The BIONIC (Blind Operation of In-Car Controls) project is working to develop and validate a set of design guidelines for the design of vehicle controls that provide tactile feedback to the driver and minimize the need for vision. An innovative aspect of the project is the intention to learn from the experience and strategies adopted by people who are blind or have poor vision.