Prototype Vehicle Warning Seat System Vibrates When Danger Is Near

Is my arse vibrating again or am I about to run headlong into a Mack truck? Well, if a prototype out of the Yale School of Engineering comes to pass, in my hypothetical future both could be true! Wild ride!

You see, this particular warning system, which joins flashing side mirrors (Audi) and “stay awake, have a coffee break” (Mercedes) as the latest in driver safety systems, protects drivers by vibrating cellphone-sized motors in the seat.

There are twenty motors arranged in a rectange, to be precise, and they vibrate in different ways and configurations depending on what’s happening outside the vehicle. Say a car is approaching from the left-hand side, for example, then the left array of motors, on your left cheek, would vibrate angrily, warning you of danger.

The system has only been tested in a simulator, but the results were good, according to Gizmag. The pub reports that the tactile feedback pumped into drivers’ hindquarters improved their performance and reduced blind spot-related issues because drivers were able to subconsciously “see” when other cars were there. [Gizmag via Engadget]