I recently took delivery of a new electric vehicle (EV). This model is extremely minimalist, choosing to place almost all vehicle selections onto a central screen, also locating the indicator selection and windscreen wipers onto the steering wheel. Even the ability to select forwards (drive) and backwards (reverse) has been relocated from a ‘stalk’ beside the steering wheel (originally of course a gear stick) to a screen-based ‘swipe’ function.
I’m generally one to welcome new technology. I always look forward to taking delivery of a new iPhone for example and feel that I’ve always connected well with technology. However, as I’ve got older my ability to easily ‘connect’ with new devices and ways of working has become more challenging – what came naturally in my early years (I just ‘got it’) requires more consideration, thought and effort.
Anyway, back to the car. There’s no doubt that the car has been built from a new, electric, foundation and has not evolved from original car design. This is probably an advantage, allowing for technological evolution without the constraints of classic or embedded design principles of old. That said, some of the new elements test us as humans – we don’t always like change, and we don’t always cope well with it. This isn’t just because we like what we like (although that’s part of it), but because we develop well established patterns of memory – habits, routines and mental models. Many of these are automatic ways of performing tasks – requiring little or no conscious thought. These tasks are strained and are particularly challenging to perform when under pressure, distracted or if we must consider multiple things at the same time. Picture yourself driving abroad; you find yourself driving your car from the other side. Under pressure, when faced with an unfamiliar situation your ‘gear changing hand’ may automatically reach for the gear stick, only to hit the door as you should have used your right hand (when sitting on the left), not your left. This is known as a strong habit intrusion, a largely unconscious action that’s well established for the situation; in this case, changing gear.
Take the mentioned EV. The selector to indicate left and right has moved from the stalk behind the steering wheel, to buttons. One might imagine this to be no problem. At first it isn’t, however, under pressure – your hand instinctively goes to the same place it always did to indicate left or right, and not the button. Of course, over time – new, established mental routines begin to develop becoming less likely that one will search for the indicator stalk. How long this takes will differ from person to person. Also, when turning the steering wheel, the indicator buttons are not necessarily pointing left and right anymore, as they rotate with the steering wheel. Therefore, they might be completely reversed when the wheel is turned relative to the cars direction. This requires more cognitive thought, probably at a time when thought should be focussed elsewhere – on turning and the driving. Neither button has any other clue as to its function, other than its location and an arrow pointing left or right (which relates to the wheel position not the direction you may wish to turn). There is no raised or tactile difference between the buttons, only their location – one above the other. Pressing the buttons using your thumb, which is possible when driving in a straight line is no longer possible and is certainly not as straightforward when turning. When driving in a straight line however, you may argue that simply a thumb movement is easier, than moving an indicator stalk.
Onto the ‘screen’. Everything is controlled via this highly responsive, clear and intuitive touchscreen. Many of the features update via over the air software updates – which is clearly an improvement on high-cost software updates from car dealerships. However, a screen has no tactile element – you cannot reach for a dial your long-term memory has location familiarity with and turn it to adjust anything. You have to ‘look’ to guide your physical action. In some environments this may be entirely acceptable, but on a road – perhaps not. Also, there is so much on the screen, along with lots of functionality that it is highly compelling to look at and interact with whilst driving. Of course, this problem is not unique to just this vehicle – but all vehicles with screens, and increased levels of technology and functionality.
Of course, this is before we get into a discussion about whether car based ‘autopilots’, cruise control and the like are sensible ideas. This model insists I hold the wheel while the car self-drives within a lane on the autopilot mode. Fair enough. It even removes my ability to use the autopilot if I don’t keep holding the steering wheel. Naturally, when one has to ‘monitor’ something – a task human beings are generally not hugely proficient at, it becomes harder to notice and react to threats that may appear. The car may react effectively to a threat (by applying the brakes) but it is the driver who will be accountable should anything happen.
These are just my ramblings – the car has many features that in my view improve the driving experience from both a comfort and safety perspective. Adaptive cruise control, automatic threat based braking, and various other features. For me, it’s the best car I’ve owned – but the notable change in technology is a challenge to overcome, for sure.
These challenges are not unique to electric vehicles, either.
Moving onto other elements of life where we have seen technological evolution – tablets, phones and computers for example. I’ve noted that ‘apps’ and use cases have originated not out of any specific requirement or need, but because the new item of technology can deliver a new process. Perhaps it is now possible to relocate a traditional task to a tablet or other touchscreen device. Some of these tools have clear use, efficiency and environmental benefit. However, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Technology, and its interaction with the human, isn’t without its challenge – simply placing PDF manuals on a tablet loses location familiarity (the information I need is about half way in the book), tech runs out of power – books don’t, and ‘features’ can be added quickly and easily – often meaning, ironically, that technology brings more work, confusion and more interactions increasing cognitive load, taking additional time and potentially, driving further, and in many cases, new sources of error.
Circling back to individual preference and familiarity with technology, it cannot be assumed that everyone finds this transition or evolution easy. New generations have only ever known a life with the internet, YouTube, TikTok and the like – learning styles, and research preferencing will often favour methods less familiar to other generations. When introducing technology and new ways of working ergonomic, use considerations, target audiences, process evaluation and error prediction should be considered, and user interactions should not be assumed to help prevent unintended consequences. This is where a qualified Human Factors & ergonomic specialist can help surface and expand upon the risks and potential outcomes.
It would be most interesting to see the outcome of this work for some electric and modern cars, as well as for tasks that have heavily transitioned to tablet based technology.
What are your thoughts?
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