As a long-time Mercedes driver, I like things just the way they are. Never had to un-think it; just learned what it was. IMHO, this is a tempest in a teapot, and would be mightely annoyed if it were changed.
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The Cruise Control Stalk & Human Factors
- Thread starter Todd Burch
- Start date
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- Model S User Interface
As a long-time Mercedes driver, I like things just the way they are. Never had to un-think it; just learned what it was. IMHO, this is a tempest in a teapot, and would be mightely annoyed if it were changed.
ToddRLockwood
Active Member
I agree, Todd. I'd be interested to know what was on the minds of the Mercedes engineers when they adopted this standard. Could there be some safety-related logic to it?
My video game controller is the same way, so I switched it in settings. I believe this mechanism is controlled by software as well.
pilotSteve
Active Member
I AM left handed.... and YES the cruise control is backwards. Made me crazy on my weekend drive.
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My guess is that it has to do with which way your body moves when you accelerate and slow down.
First, I am also left handed. Write with my hand off the board and have sat in "backward" school desks my entire life...been there, done that.
Regarding the handbrake analogy, I'm referring to handbrake as in on a motorcycle or bicycle. Horse's reigns was just another supporting example. Primary driver is that you should be moving the stick in the direction you want the car to go. I am not uncoordinated. Flew jets in the Air Force, so I understand when forward means down and backward means up.
I've also taken many human factors engineering courses, and the science and psychology of those classes would disagree with those that say it's 50%.
I agree that despite the wierdness, you can get used to it. I have...mostly...but the other day was obviously a struggle because the directions are not intuitive. As I suspected, the Merc drivers are used to it. We can train our brains to do just about anything. Very adaptable organs, those brains are. The point is that it takes more thought than it should. If you use CC frequently, no problem. If not, you'll be using extra concentration to think about which way the stalk should go. Just like why pilots need to fly frequently to keep up the skill.
But notice that of those who actually have their car and weren't Merc drivers (already used to it), 100% say it feels backward. That's not coincidence. Will everyone say it feels backward? No. But if you believe in human factors principles, I'd suspect that at least 90% think it feels backward.
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I hear you, but you're referring to actions that have no inherent direction associated with it. On/off, rotation, etc. have no inherent direction. However, cancelling CC has an inherent slowing direction (backward) and resuming has an inherent accelerating direction (forward). There's a difference WRT human factors.
You are absolutely right that muscle memory will take care of it. If the stalk stayed, I'd get used to it, I agree.
HOWEVER, if you were to sit at the stalk for the first time, I'd bet that at least 90% of people would think that pushing away resumes CC. It just requires more effort to learn for the first time. Also, muscle memory can degrade if not exercised often...as evidenced by those that reported similar confusion.
There's a lot of talk about getting used to it. Human factors is not about getting used to something, it's about a design being so intuitive that it doesn't require thought to the overwhelming majority of users.
P.S. I recognize there is no "right answer" here, so obviously it's a debate. Other opinions are heard, acknowledged, and respected
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Regarding the handbrake analogy, I'm referring to handbrake as in on a motorcycle or bicycle. Horse's reigns was just another supporting example. Primary driver is that you should be moving the stick in the direction you want the car to go. I am not uncoordinated. Flew jets in the Air Force, so I understand when forward means down and backward means up.
I've also taken many human factors engineering courses, and the science and psychology of those classes would disagree with those that say it's 50%.
I agree that despite the wierdness, you can get used to it. I have...mostly...but the other day was obviously a struggle because the directions are not intuitive. As I suspected, the Merc drivers are used to it. We can train our brains to do just about anything. Very adaptable organs, those brains are. The point is that it takes more thought than it should. If you use CC frequently, no problem. If not, you'll be using extra concentration to think about which way the stalk should go. Just like why pilots need to fly frequently to keep up the skill.
But notice that of those who actually have their car and weren't Merc drivers (already used to it), 100% say it feels backward. That's not coincidence. Will everyone say it feels backward? No. But if you believe in human factors principles, I'd suspect that at least 90% think it feels backward.
- - - Updated - - -
I hear you, but you're referring to actions that have no inherent direction associated with it. On/off, rotation, etc. have no inherent direction. However, cancelling CC has an inherent slowing direction (backward) and resuming has an inherent accelerating direction (forward). There's a difference WRT human factors.
You are absolutely right that muscle memory will take care of it. If the stalk stayed, I'd get used to it, I agree.
HOWEVER, if you were to sit at the stalk for the first time, I'd bet that at least 90% of people would think that pushing away resumes CC. It just requires more effort to learn for the first time. Also, muscle memory can degrade if not exercised often...as evidenced by those that reported similar confusion.
There's a lot of talk about getting used to it. Human factors is not about getting used to something, it's about a design being so intuitive that it doesn't require thought to the overwhelming majority of users.
P.S. I recognize there is no "right answer" here, so obviously it's a debate. Other opinions are heard, acknowledged, and respected
.
pilotSteve
Active Member
I just repeat to myself "push it away.... so NO to cruise control" Only way I can reconcile it being "backwards"!
Only way I can reconcile it being "backwards"!
mknox
Well-Known Member
It is odd that you push the turn signal stalk away from you to turn ON the high beams, but you push the Cruise stalk away from you to turn OFF the cruise control.
Krugerrand
Meow
Awesome. Point being then, you've lived your whole life having to adjust to 'backwards' stuff, so a silly little CC stalk on your car shouldn't be much of an issue. :wink:
mknox
Well-Known Member
NigelM
Recovering Member
Braking: push the brake away from you the car slows.
Cruise control: push the stalk away from you the car slows.
mknox
Well-Known Member
Accelerating: Push the pedal away from you and the car accelerates.:smile:
I don't think you can compare hand controls with foot pedals.
Volker.Berlin
Member
Vger
Active Member
I agree with the OP about the Cancel/Resume functions.
But I have, for me, a bigger gripe with the Cruise Control-- Like the Roadster, the car is built to do everything in MPH, and then those of us with a more civilized measurement system have to live with everything being converted to km/h. This REALLY is a pain with the cruise control, because the increments for speed up/slow down are 1.6 km/h (1 MPH) and 8 km/h (5 MPH), instead of the more intuitive, consistent and useful 1 and 5 km/h. Our speed zones in Canada are in increments of 5 km/h not 8 km/h!
But I have, for me, a bigger gripe with the Cruise Control-- Like the Roadster, the car is built to do everything in MPH, and then those of us with a more civilized measurement system have to live with everything being converted to km/h. This REALLY is a pain with the cruise control, because the increments for speed up/slow down are 1.6 km/h (1 MPH) and 8 km/h (5 MPH), instead of the more intuitive, consistent and useful 1 and 5 km/h. Our speed zones in Canada are in increments of 5 km/h not 8 km/h!
I see no reason why they can't correct this in software so that it's 1/5 in imperial and metric. Good one to submit to Tesla.
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