EV Exec Calls In-Car Buttons a ‘Bug, Not a Feature’

Staff
By Staff
3 Min Read

WEBVTT
X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:0

00:00.070 –> 00:04.070
Many automakers have been shifting toward
touchscreens embedded in their vehicles,

00:04.079 –> 00:07.380
dashboards and away from dedicated physical
buttons.

00:07.480 –> 00:13.060
While it may enable more potential features, it
could also make driving less safe and possibly

00:13.069 –> 00:16.030
more annoying.
But one company makes it sound like touch

00:16.040 –> 00:19.899
screens are here to stay at least until the
industry moves on to the new thing.

00:20.049 –> 00:25.700
Wasem Ben said chief software officer at EV
Maker Rivian spoke this week at techcrunch

00:25.729 –> 00:31.459
disrupt 2024 and addressed in vehicle buttons
calling them quote an anomaly.

00:31.469 –> 00:34.680
It’s a bug not a feature.
He told the crowd ideally,

00:34.689 –> 00:37.290
you would want to interact with your car
through voice.

00:37.349 –> 00:40.880
The problem today is that most voice assistants
are just broken.

00:40.955 –> 00:45.784
It’s true that many automakers including Rivian
have been working to optimize voice controls

00:45.794 –> 00:49.334
for vehicles and haven’t yet gotten to the
point where it works.

00:49.345 –> 00:54.915
Ben said said the key may be A I which could
help your car understand the confusing request.

00:54.924 –> 00:59.944
A driver might yell out while driving, it could
also help surface more potential features that

00:59.955 –> 01:03.854
may be buried by the menus in a traditional
user interface.

01:03.865 –> 01:09.360
The problem is an A I voice assistant in the
car is still a long way from being successfully

01:09.370 –> 01:12.449
implemented.
And in the meantime, a lot of drivers are still

01:12.459 –> 01:17.360
interacting with touchscreen infotainment
systems that can be seriously distracting a

01:17.389 –> 01:23.309
2019 study from the AAA Foundation found that
infotainment systems can distract drivers,

01:23.319 –> 01:27.959
especially drivers aged 55 to 75 for up to 40
seconds.

01:28.000 –> 01:33.900
As David Zipper, a senior fellow at the MIT
mobility initiative pointed out that’s enough

01:33.910 –> 01:39.955
time for a vehicle traveling 50 MPH to cover
half a mile if using a smartphone while driving

01:39.964 –> 01:43.095
is frowned upon.
It stands to reason that essentially using a

01:43.105 –> 01:48.205
tablet stuck to the dash would be too.
But despite the cost and design engineering

01:48.214 –> 01:52.995
benefits of installing a touch screen instead
of accommodating a bunch of buttons and dials.

01:53.154 –> 01:58.635
Some automakers like Hyundai and Volkswagen are
still embracing tactile controls.

01:58.754 –> 02:01.044
I’m Ben Munson and this is manufacturing now.

Share This Article
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *