Re: (OT) BMW designs interior for revolutionary jet

["Steve Makohin" <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

From: <PGK75S@xxxxxxx>


> In a message dated 8/21/06 12:25:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
> << BMW's iDrive is absent, though a fully automated and fully integrated
> "glass cockpit" demonstrates how technology can indeed simplify complex 
> tasks, and increase safety. >>
>
> Thank goodness they didn't attempt an "iFly" control, I can see the 
> aircraft
> now falling off into the legendary "graveyard spiral" as the pilot tries 
> to
> get thru the "iFly" menu ;o)

On a serious note, BMW introduced iDrive for the primary purpose of 
decluttering the dashboard. It excels at doing that. BMW also added a host 
of questionable functionality into iDrive, such as letting the user specify 
how long the headlights stay on after they shut the engine off , using 
1-second increments across a very, very broad range of values. As a result 
of these decisions, iDrive has introduced a number of issues that make it 
suboptimal for real-time user control of the system, and in my opinion, 
unnecessary risk in safe vehicle operation.

In contrast, Eclipse Aviation introduced "Avio" (that's the "glass cockpit" 
and it's related functionality) with the primary purpose of reducing pilot 
workload (which is different than decluttering the dashboard) thereby 
simplifying vehicle operation, and increasing safety. A side-effect of these 
two goals was a less cluttered, but much better organized cockpit. In order 
to pull this off, they had to use 3 large displays, on which virtual gauges 
and controls appear (i.e., it is a digital simulation of an analog world, 
and humans are analog creatures, after all).

I find it interesting how two things that appears to be similar on the 
surface (Avio glass cockpit and iDrive) are so radically different, and that 
one turns out to be a noteworthy success (Avio) while the other ends up 
being a lamented disappointment (iDrive, still being bashed, in spite of 
multiple major revisions).

- -Steve Makohin
 '01 R1100S/ABS
 Oakville, Ontario, Canada 

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End of oilheads-digest V3 #135
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