So, while touchscreens are transforming the way we interact with handheld electronics, and motion controls being a big hit in video games, do you think the time has come to revolutionize the way we control another everyday item - the car?
For a very long time now cars have had four or five basic drive controls: steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedals, gear stick, and possibly a clutch pedal. Their design has been strongly influenced by mechanical requirements, and may seem a bit outdated in the electronic world of today. Of course there has been change: Steering and braking have become power assisted. There are various kinds of automatic transmissions, sequential shifting with paddles or a stick, and the clutch pedal is disappearing even from manual transmission cars.
However, over the last three decades people have been driving cars with a wide range of controls - through virtual worlds. From electric steering wheels and pedals, various analog and digital sticks and pads, to keyboard, mouse, accelerometer, or touchscreen controls. Some clearly more suited for the task than others.
Now, with the prospect of cars with electric drivetrains becoming affordable mass-market products in the foreseeable future, and electronic helpers getting more and more involved with actually driving a car, some of the reasons for the current design are changing. With regenerative braking, accelerating and braking are partly merging into the same system. There is no need for a reverse gear, and in fact electric cars often don't need more than a single gear. With that in mind, do we need more than one analog axis? Push forward to accelerate, pull back for negative acceleration - or reversing. Just like many racing games do.
Steering might change, too. With wheelhub motors you could turn each wheel individually, allowing sideways parking or turning on the spot. That would essentially require separate "strafe" and turn controls.
Now, drive-by-wire has not made it past concept cars yet, but it seems to me there are quite a number of innovations waiting to be put into real production cars. It seems to me it's not about if it will happen, but when.
For a very long time now cars have had four or five basic drive controls: steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedals, gear stick, and possibly a clutch pedal. Their design has been strongly influenced by mechanical requirements, and may seem a bit outdated in the electronic world of today. Of course there has been change: Steering and braking have become power assisted. There are various kinds of automatic transmissions, sequential shifting with paddles or a stick, and the clutch pedal is disappearing even from manual transmission cars.
However, over the last three decades people have been driving cars with a wide range of controls - through virtual worlds. From electric steering wheels and pedals, various analog and digital sticks and pads, to keyboard, mouse, accelerometer, or touchscreen controls. Some clearly more suited for the task than others.
Now, with the prospect of cars with electric drivetrains becoming affordable mass-market products in the foreseeable future, and electronic helpers getting more and more involved with actually driving a car, some of the reasons for the current design are changing. With regenerative braking, accelerating and braking are partly merging into the same system. There is no need for a reverse gear, and in fact electric cars often don't need more than a single gear. With that in mind, do we need more than one analog axis? Push forward to accelerate, pull back for negative acceleration - or reversing. Just like many racing games do.
Steering might change, too. With wheelhub motors you could turn each wheel individually, allowing sideways parking or turning on the spot. That would essentially require separate "strafe" and turn controls.
Now, drive-by-wire has not made it past concept cars yet, but it seems to me there are quite a number of innovations waiting to be put into real production cars. It seems to me it's not about if it will happen, but when.
