Davide Di Censo

Shape-Shifting Controllers

In-car controllers and a steering wheel that change shape to talk to the driver through touch, so eyes and ears stay free for the road.

Company
HARMAN International
Year
2014 — 2015
Role
Ideation, patenting, UX design, feedback methodologies and implementation mechanisms · managed the prototype and film vendors
Team
Future Experience Team
Location
Palo Alto, CA

Technology

  • Servo-actuated rotary controller (6 servos, 12 blades)
  • Actuated steering column (8 actuators)
  • Haptic language design
  • Infotainment GUI integration
Shape-shifting rotary controller prototype changing form as it is rotated

01The opportunity

A driver's eyes are already taken by the road, and the ears are busy with music, conversation and the car's own alerts. Almost every new in-car feature was adding to the visual and auditory load. The tactile sense, meanwhile, was nearly unused. This is a load-balancing problem across the human senses.

02The idea

A touch controller that changes shape to communicate with the driver intuitively and guide the interaction almost subconsciously. The infotainment controller and the steering wheel change shape, surface texture or stiffness to indicate the current menu position, suggest the best way to interact with the current screen, orient the driver and give feedback, with no visual or auditory signal at all.

03My role

I worked on the ideation, the patenting, the UX design, the feedback methodologies and the implementation mechanisms. I also led and directly managed the company that built the first official prototype and the company that produced the official film.

04How it worked

The rotary prototype combines input and output: six servos drive twelve smooth, touch-safe blades that reshape the knob as the user rotates it, so the hand can feel the menu structure. The steering-wheel prototype uses eight actuators in the steering column to deliver dynamic messages such as countdowns to an exit or collision warnings. Both are driven by the infotainment GUI so the shape and the screen stay in step.

05Prototype / product

Fig. 01PrototypeThe polished UX prototype: dynamic shapes enhancing infotainment interactions. Showcased globally.
Fig. 02PrototypeThe rotary prototype. Six servos control twelve blades that change shape as the knob turns, for eyes-free manipulation of the entertainment system.
Fig. 03PrototypeThe high-fidelity steering-wheel prototype: eight actuators in the column deliver countdowns and collision warnings through the hands. Not a final product design, but it earned a comprehensive patent.
Fig. 04ConceptThe late-2015 concept film: shape-altering rotary controllers, thickness-adjusting steering wheels and surface-changing hand rests. Several of these have since become functional prototypes, some approaching production readiness. All are protected by patents.
Close-up of the shape-shifting rotary controller prototype
Fig. 05PrototypeThe rotary controller.
Shape-shifting steering wheel prototype
Fig. 06PrototypeThe actuated steering wheel.
Concept board of shape-shifting interfaces
Fig. 07ConceptShape-shifting interface concepts.
Shape-shifting rotary controller in different states
Fig. 08PrototypeThe controller in different shape states.

06Outcome

Working prototypes shown worldwide and at CES 2016, a granted patent for the haptic language through a steering mechanism, and a set of concepts that continued into functional prototypes, some approaching production readiness.

  • Shown at CES 2016
  • Granted patent: haptic language through a steering mechanism

07Patents, press, links

Patents

Related work

Next project · PRJ-010Surface-Changing ControllersControllers and armrests whose texture and stiffness change to tell the driver how to interact, without a glance or a sound.