Jaguar reveals smarter ‘Sensory Steering Wheel’

Jaguar Land Rover has taken a regular, everyday heated steering wheel and turned the technology on its head. Rather than roasting your palms on a chilly morning, the Sensory Steering Wheel uses two heating elements to tell drivers when and where to turn.

Developed alongside Glasgow University, the wheel has elements on both sides of the wheel capable of warming or cooling its section by six degrees. Driver would be able to control how warm the wheel gets, if that's too much.

In test vehicles, the tech was used to show drivers when to change lane or turn as they approach a junction, but there are more possibilities. It's been applied to the gearshift paddles, to help signpost the swap from autonomous driving to human control, or as a less threatening way to pass on low-level notifications to the driver.

If fuel levels are low, or you're approaching a point of interest, JLR says the heated wheel could be used instead of vibrations or intrusive audio warnings.

"Research has shown people readily understand the heating and cooling dynamics to denote directions and the subtlety of temperature change can be perfect for certain feedback that doesn’t require a more intrusive audio or vibration-based cue," said Alexandros Mouzakitis, Jaguar Land Rover electrical research senior manager.

"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."

"Research has shown people readily understand the heating and cooling dynamics to denote directions and the subtlety of temperature change can be perfect for certain feedback that doesn’t require a more intrusive audio or vibration-based cue," he added.

MORE: Jaguar news, reviews, comparisons and videos
MORE: Land Rover news, reviews, comparisons and videos