Driving a Ford GT in Gran Turismo 4
may not be exactly like driving one in real life, but the
two experiences seem destined to converge as researchers investigate ways to make cars safer. Out of several
methods they think might work, one that seems promising is to have seats, gas pedals and other points of contact
vibrate to transmit information.
For example, a sensor in front of your car could detect if you are approaching an object in front of you too quickly and could give your seat a shake to warn you of the impending collision. For those of us who have grown up with arcade driving games, such feedback mechanisms would feel natural, but more testing is needed to see how drivers of all stripes respond.
One researcher at a Japanese automobile parts manufacturer thinks that such feedback devices could be standard in cars by 2020.
