On the phone whilst driving

[daleyd]

I've long suspected part of the reason everything (thermostats, washing machines, etc) has an app these days is because it's cheaper and easier to design a UI with a high res colour touch screen than it is to do it with physical buttons and LED indicators or an alphanumeric display.

I’ve just done 4 big control panels for materials testing in a lab, their previous ones had a jumble of panel mounted controllers, buttons, potentiometers and indicators - we’ve replaced them all with a big HMI - the only buttons they have are an e stop and a couple of reset buttons.

The beauty is if they want anything adding in the future it doesn’t need any extra wiring, cut outs etc. It’s also much less confusing to look at, with all the info easily displayed. I’m not sure it totally works as well in cars, but there’s likely no going back now!

 

[DennisCA]

Doesn't get much better than this IMO, peak design

 

[Nomad]

A friend gave me a lift 100+ miles in a new tessla recently - pretty much *everything* is controlled by an ipad screen mounted centrally between the driver & passenger.
It just felt dangerous to me, driver has to fiddle with a display that's nowhere near where they should be looking - ie the road ahead.

The whole argument & laws about mobiles being illegal but hand held phones (& taxi & police radios) being legal misses the point that *any* distraction is bad.
It doesn't matter if its kids fighting on the back seat or you on a call trying to fix a crisis at home/work, it all distracts you from what's happening on the road around you.
I don't see that having an argument with your passenger is any less dangerous than being on a mobile, one is legal the other isn't.
We live in a crazy world

 

[Robotstar5]

Absolutely no tactile switches, touch screens etc. to distract me on this

 

[Pete.]

Absolutely no tactile switches, touch screens etc. to distract me on this

View attachment 424771

You might get caught fiddling with your knob.....

 

[Robotstar5]

You might get caught fiddling with your knob.....

Yes, it needs polishing

 

[reb78]

Doesn't get much better than this IMO, peak design

Ooops. I'd wager you were using your phone while driving there....!

 

[DennisCA]

Hah true, but it has actual physical buttons for taking pictures so I just held it to my chest and pressed the button a couple of times, then looked at which was best when I got home

 

[minimutly]

I’ve just done 4 big control panels for materials testing in a lab, their previous ones had a jumble of panel mounted controllers, buttons, potentiometers and indicators - we’ve replaced them all with a big HMI - the only buttons they have are an e stop and a couple of reset buttons.

The beauty is if they want anything adding in the future it doesn’t need any extra wiring, cut outs etc. It’s also much less confusing to look at, with all the info easily displayed. I’m not sure it totally works as well in cars, but there’s likely no going back now!

Indeed, I've gone away from speccing pushbuttons on control panels as well, makes sense. Not so sure for cars though...

 

[J1nx]

Look at the new Volvo system, yes Volvo, the safety kings! The system is astonishingly bad….

skip to 1m20s to get straight to the issue and avoid intro

 

[Wozzaaah]

You can avoid getting prosecuted for using your phone whilst driving by putting your mobile inside a large shell.
If you get pulled just tell the police you are listening to the sea.


Blame Viz for that, not me.

 

[minimutly]

I'm blaming you for repeating it...

 

[DennisCA]

Look at the new Volvo system, yes Volvo, the safety kings! The system is astonishingly bad….

skip to 1m20s to get straight to the issue and avoid intro

In a way I am glad Saab went under. Then I don't have to see whatever monstrosity they would've produced today had they managed to limp along.

 

[mtt.tr]

I'll never understand the all black thing. For the last few months I've cycled to and from work in the dark every day, the number of people I pass wearing grey or black with no lights astounds me, it's like they want to be ran over.

Anything to not have to cycle I guess

 

[mike os]

So all the stuff that should be in front of you is now on an I pad ?

 

[mtt.tr]

So all the stuff that should be in front of you is now on an I pad ?

What is the difference between a touch screen and button.

You can learn both intuitively in the same way I can type without looking at the keyboard on my phone.
The same as I can type on a Physical keyboard

 

[minimutly]

What is the difference between a touch screen and button.

You can learn both intuitively in the same way I can type without looking at the keyboard on my phone.
The same as I can type on a Physical keyboard

No.
Maybe you can, but if you put that to a vote here, I would expect 90% would say the same.
Perhaps it's the age demographic here?

 

[Morrisman]

Totally agree - I design HMI for work and for a control panel it’s really easy to add another button to a HMI, whereas a physical button needs holes drilling, wiring, inputs etc

But that’s on a control panel in a factory where your not moving and it’s the only thing you need to concentrate on. in a car physical buttons win every time, but stick everything in a screen and I’d bet it reduces the wiring and assembly times dramatically.

Friend of mine built a hot rod/race cat out of an old Fraser Nash and has used an iPad for the instrument panel. There is a wiring attachment and various apps to do the job easily enough, plus he can customise which dials go where, what size and style they are, adjust the parameters for warning lights etc. All touch control as well.

Very neat, and I'd assume modern cars can/will be similar with their touch screen layout. The Tesla has an enormous central touch screen, bigger than the very first iPads.

I don't have a pic of the dash, unfortunately. It runs a twin turbo Ford V8.

 

[premmington]

What is the difference between a touch screen and button.

You can learn both intuitively in the same way I can type without looking at the keyboard on my phone.
The same as I can type on a Physical keyboard

I struggle so badly with a smartphone/tablet touch screens.

I have downloaded Whatsapp onto a desk top PC - and use it with a full size keyboard.

 

[daleyd]

I think the big problem is that to access functions you have to go through other sub menus - so a physical button requires a brief glance away, whereas a touchscreen can require several, often in different screen areas