A Study on Ergonomic Layout of Automotive Electronic Shift Buttons

Abstract

Automotive gear shifters are among the most important control devices in driving tasks, and their user-centered design has a direct impact on the driving performance and safety. In recent years, shift-by-wire systems with electronic shift buttons have replaced conventional transmission systems due to their advantages, such as the ease of shifting and space utilization inside vehicles. However, there are no minimum requirements or specific regulations for electronic shift button layouts. Thus, different car manufacturers and models have adopted different layouts, and this in turn has induced the risk of driver confusion/error in the shifting operation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the ergonomic performance of different electronic shift button layouts and examine the variance in performance depending on driving experience. Here, 21 survey respondents with different levels of driving experience subjectively evaluated 12 different shift button layouts for 7 ergonomic evaluation measures (accuracy, convenience, rapidity, learnability, intuitiveness, safety, and preference). The outcomes of the study elucidate ergonomic layouts that receive high rankings in each driving experience group (all, novice, and experienced drivers) and principles that should be considered when designing shift button layouts for each group. These findings are expected to contribute to the ergonomic design and international standardization of shift button layouts, thereby preventing driver confusion/errors and improving road safety.

An Ergonomic Study on the Operation Method and In-Vehicle Location of an Automotive Electronic Gearshift

“…Additionally, the lateral arrangement of gear positions of M DR , contrary to the longitudinal arrangement applied by automotive manufacturers over previous decades, can be considered a less satisfying driver stereotype [36]. Relatedly, the importance of satisfying driver stereotypes in designing in-vehicle controls and gearshifts has been emphasized in previous studies [10,29]. Therefore, future research needs to empirically investigate the ergonomic benefits of the longitudinal design of the operation direction and arrangement of gear positions of the dial-type gearshift.…”

“…The results indicated that the I or J-shaped monostable shift pattern with PRNDM shift sequence showed the longest task completion time and the lowest subjective ease-of-use, which was explained by the lack of visibility of the gear shifter state and haptic feedback. Choi et al [10] derived a total of 12 shift button layouts for button-type gearshifts based on four ergonomic layout design principles (consistency, functional similarity, compatibility, and stereotype) and conducted a survey to evaluate them in terms of seven ergonomic evaluation measures (accuracy, convenience, rapidity, learnability, intuitiveness, safety, and preference). As a result, a layout, to which the principles of consistency, functional similarity, and stereotype were applied together, was recommended as the best (most ergonomic) layout design.…”

Interface Layout Optimization for Electrical Devices Using Heuristic Algorithms and Eye Movement

“…In addition, interface optimization is a complex problem that necessitates consideration of multiple design factors. In particular, human factors have a substantial influence on interface optimization [19]. At present, the design stages of almost all devices consider ergonomics.…”