Heated steering wheels are a welcome luxury in colder climates, but Jaguar Land Rover has found another use for the feature.
Developed in partnership with Glasgow University, the company’s new sensory steering wheel uses heating and cooling to inform drivers where to turn and when to change lanes.
According to the company, elements have been installed in both sides of the steering wheel and they rapidly warm or cool one side of the wheel by up to 6°C (43°F). That’s a pretty big difference, but the temperature change can be adjusted to suit the driver’s preferences.
The technology is certainly interesting and Jaguar Land Rover believes it could help to reduce accidents as drivers wouldn’t have to take their eyes off the road to look at the infotainment system for directions. This is important as the company noted “Driver distraction is a major contributor to road accidents around the world and accounts for 10 percent of all fatal crashes in the USA alone.”
Besides the ability to give directions, the sensory steering wheel could be used to deliver non-urgent notifications. In particular, Jaguar Land Rover said temperature-based notifications would be less distracting than vibrations and audio warnings to alert drivers about things such points of interest.
Also Read: Future Jaguar Land Rover Vehicles Could Prevent You From Getting Sick
According to Jaguar Land Rover electrical research senior manager Alexandros Mouzakitis, “Safety is a number one priority for Jaguar Land Rover and we are committed to continuously improving our vehicles with the latest technological developments as well as preparing the business for a self-driving future. The sensory steering wheel is all part of this vision, with thermal cues able to reduce the amount of time drivers have to take their eyes off the road.”