Typical police vehicles are filled with as much technology as the department can afford. Everything from the newest digital camera system to a simple entertainment radio is within the reach of an officer. Currently, most of these systems are installed without any consideration toward the other systems or the interaction required between the driver and the car. The lack of a systems approach in the installation has spawned a project to look at the safety and overall system installation in the New Jersey State Police vehicles.
The research presented in this thesis suggests consolidation of the various controls into one intuitive controller that employs haptic technologies. A prototype controller was developed using an Immersion rotary haptic knob and a tactile feedback indicator. The parameters of this interaction design were explored through experimentation with a group of subjects using a testing procedure. From this information a prototype controller was developed and optimized to provide better user/vehicle interaction and a cleaner, safer cockpit
