Posted on 08/12/2019 6:20:55 AM PDT by robowombat
Best to go with tried and true interface.
Which is great, unless that something is a bunch of murderous hoodlums strung across the road, bent on stopping cars and killing occupants in mid-riot.
Why did anyone think this was a good idea in the first place?
How were they supposed to control the ship when the power went out? In my own service experience, this was not an unusual occurrence.
I would suggest that eating a Big Mac can also put your life at risk.
Plus dem Mac screens is all covered with billions of people`s
germs coz they NEVER CLEAN the screeens!
To me, this is a good example of a verified reason to go back to “a hands on Navy.”
Why one or the other? If one fails, there’s another option.
“Most new cars slam on brakes before hitting something. I say embrace technology and make it work for you. Ditching these systems is kind of nutty at this stage.”
In combat sometimes you want to hit something with your ship......
Also, if everything is electronically controlled in can be hacked. Who wants to see the American Navy’s ships sunk by being hacked and run aground?
I work in IT and over automization can be an issue and confusing, shitty, and nearly useless user interfaces abound.
Or when your fingers are wet with sweat, sea water or blood. Ever try to do the "slide-unlock" thing on your smartphone when your hands are sweaty? I've missed many a call, madly swiping at the slide thing, totally ignored by the touchscreen. I know that marine-rated touchscreens are more tolerant of moisture than the average smartphone, but when you want to be sure that a control input happens *now* there are better designs.
p
I don’t like the touchscreen on my car radio. Actually I think it’s a step back in automotive safety. Now I have to take my eyes off the road to see if I am pressing on the correct area on the screen. With knobs and buttons, I could just feel where my fingers needed to be to work the controls.
That would take all the fun out of things.
I don't like it on my iPad, and I love my iPad. And I hate it on any sort of security input system. Try putting in a string of 8-12 letters/numbers/symbols correctly on a touchscreen. Odds of an error on any touch is 1 in 10, so the odds of an error approach or exceed 100%.
Indeed. I have been in situations on the road where an “accident avoidance” system would have killed me.
Regarding touch-screen systems for throttle control: there is often so much valium (delay) programmed into the system to prevent “hunting” that your inputs get muddled by the program, and up becomes down.
I have seen computer programs fighting each other, one set of instructions trying to increase output while a second set of instructions is trying to decrease that output, on the same device.
Using touch screens as the sole control interface in the command & control system on a warship just seems downright dumb. Water damage, battle damage, drop your coffee...
Then, as others have mentioned, there are times you don’t want to have to take your eyes off whatever you are doing to alter your control settings. Touchscreens become a distraction rather than any sort of aid.
Maybe -- just maybe -- someone is beginning to take into account the principle of, "If it ain't broke -- don't 'fix' it"..
BTW, I haven't been able to determine if this helm/throttle (touchscreen) "fix" was implemented on the Fitzgerald. I didn't see it mentioned anywhere -- and, would still bet on "cockpit error due to panic reaction"...
Never conned anything larger than a cabin cruiser, but, to me, having the feel of the throttle levers in my hand is an element of control I definitely wouldn't want to relinquish. Can't imagine replacing that "hands-on" control with a stupid, zero feedback touch screen!
The navy is making the same mistake in the future. See Star Trek Next Generation documentries.... all touch screens : )
Oh man, I am with you.
Wtf, a ship that sleek and fast SHOULD have a cool throttle!
Ugh my new car has it and I despise it. Cant permanently disable it, either.
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