Soon, Gesture Controls in Cars May Be More Mainstream

Automotive  

When pioneering technology comes to a new format, the reaction is always mixed, and that seems to be the case with cars. Though they’ve been serving their function for decades, a new wave in gesture control is being tested in the industry.

Audi, Ford, BMW and Mercedes-Benz — notice they’re all high-end, luxury manufacturers — are developing new ways to integrate 3D spatial recognition technology into their models and are quite close to pulling it off in a commercial sphere.

But the question is whether the casual driver will find this new iteration of the in-car user interface desirable. And here is where the debate gets interesting.

Gesture control is not replacing conventional systems, and, because of this, they could actually improve overall car safety standards

Careening Off the Road to a Driverless Future

This kind of technology has been around for some time with the release of the Audi A8 in 2010 and the BMW 7 Series before that, with the latest model due to be unveiled later this year. For a time, it was even feared Google would leverage its influence to corner the market, as it so often has in the past.

Alas, that did not happen. Instead, what were left were visions of an alternate future where drivers took a back seat to the prospect of these increasingly technological cars and the grand game of chess between Google and Uber.

This is what has allowed car manufacturers to continue their work relatively unimpeded and is what has given rise to this particular turning point. So now drivers must decide whether they really want to be at the wheel and, if so, what gesture control options they’d be comfortable with.

Passing the Three-Point Litmus Test

A recent CNET analysis of the Consumer and Electronics Show in Las Vegas and the North American International Auto Show in Detroit outlines the direction in which major manufacturers are heading.

However, if gesture controls are to be “better and not just different” in comparison to more conventional methods of action input such as voice command, they need to be:

1. Positive: Accurate enough for the gesture to register and translate the first time.
2. Affirmative: To minimize the actions and reactions needed by the driver.
3. Context Sensitive: So that drivers cannot inadvertently issue accidental commands

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If these aspects are addressed and refined to the point where a gesture-controlled car can allow volume and fan control dials to be tuned with a quick flick of the wrist, then it seems like an avenue the average driver would pursue and appreciate.

Impacts on the Driving Experience: For Better or Worse

But, because the way people drive their cars and the experience they derive from doing so is now at stake, it is not unreasonable to bring up a few of the major concerns, provided they’re balanced by a number of reasonable benefits.

Driving requires an unparalleled level of concentration, and gesture controls are taking people’s hands off the steering wheel, which experts have warned about for years. They may just compound the problem.

Ultimately, it’s a question of necessity and whether people really need a smart alternative to something they’re used to doing already. So it’s important to remember gesture control mechanics are not accessible to all and are not universally understood, making some retraining a possible necessity.

Fortunately, gesture control is not replacing conventional systems, and, because of this, they could actually improve overall car safety standards. At any rate, these types of controls are likely to come standard in some luxury vehicles in the next twelve months or so, and this will eventually trickle down the pipeline.

Top Image by LibreShot

By Kayla Matthews

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Kayla writes to combine her love of productivity and lifehacking with her interests in technology and mobile apps. Check out her blog, Productivity Bytes. You can also find her on GadgeTell and MakeUseOf.