If you’ve ever played a video game, you know that the controller is an invaluable tool, capable of sending physical feedback, like a vibration, without you having to take your eyes off the screen.
What if that kind of technology moved to cars? Imagine if the controller – in this case, the manual shift knob – could tell you through vibration when to shift? Maybe you’re new to using a manual transmission, or just want to know the optimum time to shift if you’re looking for the best fuel economy?
Ford engineer Zach Nelson has figured out how to use open source hardware and software, 3D printing, wireless connectivity and Microsoft™ Xbox 360® for haptic feedback for the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. You might be asking what the heck all that means! Well, the Ford open-source OpenXC software and hardware platform enables developers to create apps that leverage the data available through a vehicle’s on-board diagnostics port to make creative innovation like a vibrating shift knob possible.