Gesture Control for Automotive Peripherals 221
j-rock nowhere writes "An article in Automotive Design and productions' Field Guide to Automotive Technology describes a possible future method of controlling things like your cell phone and stereo while keeping your eyes on the road."
Voice is better (Score:3, Insightful)
It's not the problem (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Voice is better (Score:3, Insightful)
Why even bother with hands, they should really stay on the wheel.
Not exactly a good idea (Score:2, Insightful)
Speech recognition? (Score:2, Insightful)
Ultimate solution (Score:3, Insightful)
How about shut off the cell phone, tune the stereo to one station and pay attention to the road.
Solution: $0
Chance to get into an accident/kill someone: less
Here in lies the problem (Score:2, Insightful)
Now with the desire to integrate a LCD screens, DVD player, Video Games and a whole host of distractions I loath to think what driving will be like in the future. People need to just drive their car and worry about amusing themselves when they are not hurling down the road at 60 MPH.
Re:It's not the problem (Score:5, Insightful)
(Although, I've noticed that when someone is in the car with me and I'm talking to them, I don't have any problem paying attention to the road. I haven't quite figured that out yet.)
NOT the problem with cell phones in cars, dammit! (Score:5, Insightful)
method of controlling things like your cell phone and stereo while keeping your eyes on the road
First off- my stereo in my car displays the FM frequency info in the gauge cluster, at the top, and I know all the controls by feel; the button groups are shaped with surfaces to let you recognize which button group you're on. This feature was introduced in 1989 by Audi, and continues in every single model they make- so this is solving a problem that doesn't exist, frankly. If one manufacturer can do it, any can- it's just smart design and a little bit of extra electronics.
Regardless, The problem is NOT the "taking your eyes off the road" bit. The problem, time after time, is your mental focus.
Researchers found that when a driver is talking on the cell phone, it's almost like they enter a tunnel of sorts- they loose their situational awareness(ie, "where are the other cars around me?" "what is my speed?" etc.) and sort of blankly stare ahead. You can recognize anyone in this "mode"; they look like some kind of automaton.
Of course, the phone companies say "that's absurd, people in cars talk to the driver". That's right(even right to the extent that many states limit passengers for young drivers, who haven't enough experience)- but when you're talking to the driver (studies have shown that) you stop talking to them if the situation the driver is in gets complicated- ie, a merge, someone starts to cut them off, an exit is coming up, or they're looking for a turn to make- or even if the driver suddenly changes their body language- and even that act of stopping talking to them can give the driver a wakeup call. People on the other end of the phone can't do any of this, of course.
But, have you ever wondered why the cellphone industry is happily embracing the hands-free stuff? They get to sell extra accessories at an absurd profit margin compared to the phone unit itself- and it distracts everyone from the much more "dangerous"(to them) truth- that people can't talk to other people safely unless they're in the car, ie, cell phone calls by drivers should be illegal PERIOD.
Re:It's not the problem (Score:3, Insightful)
Pretty simple. The passenger talking to you is part of your immediate environment. They occupy more of your sensory abilities that a cel caller. You only hear a cell call, and somewhat artificially at that. A real live person can be seen, heard, smelled, etc. Much more "real" that your phone call. Or radio for that matter, considering the limited volume, placement and quality of sound.
Re:It's not the problem (Score:2, Insightful)
Dumb idea (Score:5, Insightful)
Steering-wheel mounted controls are the way to go. Control the radio with you thumbs and maybe dial your phone with buttons in the middle of the wheel.
Controls need to be quick and simple. We don't have any laws saying you need a hands-free kit for your CB in any state that I know of because they aren't that distracting. A single button push or know twist will effect whatever changes you want, and no one hesitates to drop their mic if they need to, since they're desiged to handle it. Contrast this with a typical handheld cellphone: Tiny keys, poor tactile feedback, inefficient controls (volume buttons instead of a knob), tiny displays. Just think about how much time you take your eyes off the road to dial a seven digit number. Plenty of time to get you killed on the wrong day.
Voice dialing (for ANY number: "five-five-five-one-two-one-two"), volume control knobs, and a single button that takes the phone on and off-hook should be mandatory for all cellphones used while driving. NYS already has a law requiring the use of a "hands free" kit, but AFIAK just plugging and earbud into your phone satisfies that requrement.
Re:I dunno... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Does anyone else see this as not a good idea? (Score:4, Insightful)
The fact you're talking on the phone (regardless of whether you're using a hands-free set or not) means that some aspect of your cognitive functions are not on the road. Pure and simple.
People waving their hands around in an attempt to spell something will be a menace. I can imagine what'll happen as soon as something's mis-spelt. People'll soon switch their eyes across to whatever readout it has to try and delete something.
We should be enforcing laws stopping people driving dangerously and without due care and attention, not making up expensive technology that will provide yet another distraction for idiots.
The perfect interface (Score:3, Insightful)
I love old VWs, because there is nothing to mess with. It's about driving.
Now it's about eating, calling, tuning, drinking, shaving, beautifying, watching, reading, screwing, eating, listening, drinking, and eating.
Re:Totally disagree (Score:2, Insightful)
And for the record, I used to drive 30k+ mile/year for yesr without an accident, I'm only a pedestrian now because some uninsured kid in a borrowed car destroyed my vehicle while argueing with his girlfriend on a cel phone.
Where is "arse-whuppin" justice when you need it?
Re:It's not the problem (Score:2, Insightful)
A passenger is in the same environment as you, which means there's a second set of senses (semi) paying attention to what's going on outside the glass. A cell-caller has no such cues or abilities.
Passengers also have vested interest in NOT bringing up volatile, emotion-laden, or stressful topics. OTOH the PHB is completely comfortable with chewing you out over the cell phone just like he would over regular land-lines. Most passengers are aware of when a conversation has become too complex/difficult for the situation and will defer the conversation or change topics.
CB radio really doesn't map 1:1 because stressful, emotional-laden, or private topics are rarely discussed over CB. (No expectation of privacy.) Plus, the pattern of conversation is different with radio/CB. Pauses between replies are normal in radio/CB - but in phone usage, we're accustomed to interpreting silence as having meaning. So we don't like to leave the channel silent or we might be construed as being rude to the other party. You're also paying per minute for cell (less of a factor now that cell is cheaper), so there's incentive to push more information across in the same time period.
The other thing to consider is the topic being discussed. Some topics require more concentration then others. Talking about the weather is pretty light conversation, and probably doesn't affect driving ability. Trying to troubleshoot a Beowolf Cluster over the phone is a lot more complex and probably has a big impact on your ability to drive.
Re:A simpler way with little innovation required (Score:3, Insightful)
no it's not. the controls on steering wheels are far from standard... they intentionally use a bizzare protocol so that it is 100% useless with any decent aftermarket audio systems. (sorry, the stereo in your honda oops I mean acura sucks compared to some of the real stuff out there.)
If you think that the automotive manufacturers will standardize on anything without being forced to (see federal mandates to use a single comms protocol for diagnosis interface to the car's computer) then you are pretty silly.
I even had a system that was SUPPOSED to intergrate everything with speech way before any carmaker even though of it. in 1999 I had the Clarion autopc that integrated your car's systems (via diagnostic connector translator), GPS, audio system and cellphone into one simple to use and voice activated system....
Only 1 cellphone was ever supported with it because the other cellphone manufacturers were not interested in letting out their super secret IP so that you can make your phone dial from the cradle.. and it was an analog cellphone that was phased out within months..
that and the engineers at cellphone companies are twits to the point that they rewrite everything for every model and even change it in the middle of a modle year.
if you want that stuff standarized... get laws passed to force the companies to use a standard API and protocol... it's obvious that no industry's want any standarization.. otherwise they would have had it already.
Yes, Legislate Everything Why Don't We? (Score:2, Insightful)
Come on, making something that is not a direct infringement on another person illegal is what should be illegal. I should be able to do whatever I want in my car while driving, even if it's really stupid. But, the instant that effects someone else (I hit someone/something) I should be punished accordingly (because I will have then actually infringed on someone).
Studies have shown that computer ownership and fast internet connections correlate to online file swapping. I think we'd be in agreement that computers, and the use of them to make/share MP3s when not violating copyrights, should be legal. It's only when you violate the copyright should you be punished...and you should be punished for violating that copyright, not owning/using a computer.
Same with cell phones. They, and the use of them, should be legal as long as that doesn't infringe on someone else. When you get in an accident cause you made that choice to talk, and accepted responsibility for that choice by making it, you should be punished for hitting someone...not for use/ownership of the phone.
I (unfortunately) see a world approaching where everything "good" will be mandated by law, and everything "bad" or "potentially bad" will be prohibited. You, my fellow man, are leading this march...and I wish you would stop.