# Interface Design for Responsible Remote Driving: A Study on Technological Mediation
## 4 Interface Design Analysis
### Physical Feedback
#### 4.3.2 Emerging Haptic HMIs: Seats, Haptic Displays, and Wearables  
While steering wheels and pedals constitute conventional elements in remote control stations, additional haptic HMIs such as seats, haptic displays, and wearables are emerging as potential solutions for RD. A set of HMIs for physical feedback relies on seats to mediate forces--a strategy mostly explored in the gaming and racing simulation industries [61]. One example of this category of HMI are tactile transducers integrated into to the station platform or seat to simulate the forces in the cockpit. For instance, Buttkicker by ButtkickerHaptics (Westerville, OH, USA; [[https://thebuttkicker.com/](https://thebuttkicker.com/)]([https://thebuttkicker.com/](https://thebuttkicker.com/)) (accessed on 24 February 2025)) emits vibrations reproducing the feeling of acceleration, braking, shifting gears, navigating bumps in the road, and encountering sharp corners. Case studies have shown that tactile transducers contribute to a more immersive driving experience for ROs, improving their ability to perceive and respond to dynamic driving conditions [8]. Another solution that could be borrowed from the gaming industry is the adoption of haptic chairs to simulate force feedback from the road. For example, Motion 1 Haptic Gaming Chair by Cooler Master Technology (Taipei City, Taiwan; [[https://www.coelermaster.com/en-global/products/motion-1/](https://www.coelermaster.com/en-global/products/motion-1/)]([https://www.coelermaster.com/en-global/products/motion-1/](https://www.coelermaster.com/en-global/products/motion-1/)) (accessed on 24 February 2025)) can move, incline, and deliver different sensations to the occupant by adjusting the vibrational feedback to match the expected sensations during the drive. In this way, much of the information induced from physical forces is made available to remote drivers too, which can assist them in exercising responsibility. In addition to more skeuomorphic solutions such as steering wheels, pedals, and seats, other avenues are also emerging to add force feedback to the RD experience. In this context, haptic displays have been playing a remarkable role. Haptic displays are technologies that utilize pressure or vibration stimulators to interact with the user's skin, generating tactile sensations to convey proprioceptive information about position, orientation, and movement. In so doing, they show potential to provide real-time force feedback during driving operations. The literature on haptic displays for RD mostly focus on control issues. Indeed, haptic displays endowed with gesture recognition technology might offer valuable alternatives to virtual dashboard buttons and touchscreens, which could require drivers to divert attention from the road in order to be operated. For example, it has been shown that large touchscreen interfaces with virtual buttons demand considerable visual attention, particularly when not paired with the appropriate physical feedback [62]. To cope with this issue, mid-air haptics with gesture controls are being studied to be applied to both automotive dashboards [54; 55] and RD [59; 63]. Even though haptic displays are mostly used as controllers, they show the potential to distribute cognitive load beyond visual and audio stimuli by incorporating physical feedback, resulting in a more integrated driving experience, which is particularly important in noisy environments where sustained vigilance is required, and audiovisual channels might already be taxed [64]. Haptic feedback systems have indeed shown promise in providing efficient substitution feedback for visual and auditory cues, offering rapid perception even in conditions of high cognitive load such as urban traffic. They have also proven to be more effective than other signals in alerting drivers of safety issues during emergencies [61]. Wearable haptic devices, such as haptic gloves and vests, could also be employed to provide ROs with localized tactile feedback during RD operations.