User interface idea: temporary scroll wheel functions

[alexeiw123]

Like many reservation holders, I'm watching video reviews with a lot of interest and it seems that one of the most common complaints is the user interface around changing cruise control speed, autopilot follow distance and windscreen wiper settings.

A way that Tesla could improve the user experience here is to implement temporary scroll wheel functions after these options are adjusted. I know the scroll wheel arrows are also illuminated, so they could make these lights pulse while they are serving a temporary function, so that the behaviour is intuitive. All function changes should be shown on the the relevant section of the touchscreen while being controlled from the steering wheel. I actually tweeted this in limited characters to Elon but like many ideas it was either ignored or lost in the noise.

Example 1: Touching the wipe button to perform a single wipe, could then change the behaviour of the left scroll wheel for a period of about 3 seconds of inactivity. Scrolling up turns the wipers to 'on' and then vary the speed from intermittent to fast with further scrolling up. Like wise, a tap of the 'wipe' button then scrolling down would be used to turn them off again.

Example 2: Moving the gear lever down to set/enable traffic aware cruise control could enable a temporary function on the right wheel to adjust your cruise speed. Likewise, tapping the UI for speed changes could be done with one tap, and further adjustments followed with the scroll wheels.

Example 3: Touching the 'Cruise Follow Distance' option, double pressing the gear lever down or even better, touching the lead vehicle on the UI, should enable the right scroll wheel to temporarily adjust the follow distance. Scroll up to follow closer, scroll down to follow further.

There may be more functions that could be improved by using temporary scroll wheel functions that you can think of?

Thoughts? Improvement or not? Better ways to do it? Or do you like these common controls being touch UI only?

 

[BrettS]

Honestly I think it will just add confusion. If you are already touching the touchscreen to enable the “temporary function” then I’m not sure it saves much time or effort and I suspect that there will be lots of cases where people go to adjust the volume of the radio or whatever the “permenant function” is and wind up changing the cruise control set speed or whatever it’s temporarily controlling. Muscle memory is hard to change and when you get used to one function being there you’ll do that instinctively without realizing the function has changed at that moment.

For weeks after I got my Model S I would put the car in neutral whenever it started to rain because the windshield wiper stalk on my old car was in the same position as the gear shift stalk on the Model S

 

[Msjulie]

Right scroll wheel or the side-to-side buttons to adjust regular old cruise control speed would be nice - only of course when the button is not in use for some other view (the cruise control stuff is right under speed at that point)

 

[alexeiw123]

lots of cases where people go to adjust the volume of the radio or whatever the “permenant function” is and wind up changing the cruise control set speed or whatever it’s temporarily controlling.

Yes that's the obvious concern, particularly for something as core to safety as vehicle speed.

Right scroll wheel or the side-to-side buttons to adjust regular old cruise control speed would be nice - only of course when the button is not in use for some other view (the cruise control stuff is right under speed at that point)

Perhaps using the left/right wheel functions temporarily would be less likely to cause confusion. As opposed to the up/down scrolling.

 

[Msjulie]

Yeah I'd actually prefer that, harder to accidentally hit..

 

[R.S]

How it should be done:

Now I get that would be pretty expensive, still it would also be pretty cool, maybe for the S and X. But changing the scroll wheels based on what you selected would be a great idea in general, even without capacitive touch and so on.

I guess it would be harder to show what which scroll wheel would be doing, since you don't have a second screen in front of the driver to properly display it. Otherwise the left, or right of the display could change, to indicate what you are changing with your scroll wheels.

Maybe they can figure out a good solution for the center screen.

 

[insaneoctane]

While I hope the voice commands are extensive, I generally don't prefer them. Safety first though, so I like your suggestion .I would let real GUI team define the specifics. I think a left side of the screen temporary overlay clearly showing you what the temporary assignment is would help avoid confusion.
I noticed that when you hit the wiper button on the stalk,it automatically pulls up that GUI. So I never understood people bitching about how burried the wiper controls are, because one single stalk click brings it up. That's how i would use it everytime. Your suggestion is very similar!

 

[alexeiw123]

How it should be done:
Yeah that interface is really nice - maybe over complicated but the context adaptive steering wheel buttons are awesome. Too late for that now though...

I noticed that when you hit the wiper button on the stalk,it automatically pulls up that GUI. So I never understood people bitching about how burried the wiper controls are, because one single stalk click brings it up. That's how i would use it everytime. Your suggestion is very similar!

Yeah it seems they've gone part way to a solution, I'd just like to see them implement something like my idea that means there is a way to intuitively adjust common settings without taking your hands off the wheel. Keeping it intuitive is the tricky part.