New vehicle controls
A golfing buddy and I were enjoying the last few days of the season and he mentioned that he went to one of Ford's facilities in Dearborn to participate in some simulator tests of new vehicle instrumentation panels.
Ford wanted to see how various instrumentation groupings would work for seniors and, as a 70-year old, my friend qualified. He was quite impressed with what he saw and said that the testing was more than just pressing buttons and figuring out menus. The simulator put him into a "moving vehicle" with traffic and pedestrians and various distractions. With all of the simulated events going on, he then tried to figure out how to use the instrumentation and still "drive" safely.
He said that there were four different configurations and systems being evaluated; he only tested one. His conclusion: whatever system Ford selects is going to amaze their customers who are used to conventional buttons and knobs.
My own preference? I'd like to see more voice activated controls like the Sync system. "Radio - volume - up - up." "Warning - backup - off." "Lights - dome - on"....
