TactiHelm: Tactile Feedback in a Cycling Helmet for Collision Avoidance

Abstract

This paper introduces TactiHelm, a helmet that can inform cyclists about potential collisions. To inform the design of TactiHelm, a survey on cycling safety was conducted. The results highlighted the need for a support system to inform on location and proximity of surrounding vehicles. A set of tactile cues for TactiHelm conveying proximity and directions of the collisions were designed and evaluated. The results show that participants could correctly identify proximity up to 91% and directions up to 85% when tactile cues were delivered on the head, making TactiHelm a suitable device for notifications when cycling.