Ford Unveils Vibrating Shift Knob Concept

Ford Motor Co. has developed a prototype gearshift knob that vibrates to tell the driver when it's time to shift.

The knob's haptic feedback system uses a vibration motor from an Xbox 360 game controller made by Ford's computer partner, Microsoft Corp. The unit can be tuned to signal the driver when to shift for optimal efficiency or maximum acceleration.

The one-off prototype also incorporates an LED to indicate which gear is engaged. Ford has tested the device on several vehicles, including a Mustang Shelby GT500 and Focus ST.

The system determines optimal shift points by using a car's OBD-II port to monitor engine speed, accelerator position and vehicle velocity. It transmits data via a wireless Bluetooth connection to a tablet computer running a custom app created in OpenXC, an open-source software platform.

Zach Nelson, a young mechanical engineer who joined Ford a year ago, developed the system for vehicles with manual transmissions. He points out that the same technology could be used with automatic gearboxes fitted with paddle shifters.

Ford hasn't indicated any plans to commercialize the haptic shift knob. But it notes that the project shows how tuners or aftermarket developers could use OpenXC to create their own device.