Yes, digital readouts have their limitations.
The first aircraft I flew with a head-up display (HUD) had almost
exclusively digital readouts -- for altitude, airspeed and Mach
number. That was the Jaguar 1978 - 1982. When I got to the Tornado
GR1 in 1985 the digital readouts were complemented with analogue
indicators. The trouble with digital readouts is that they give an
instant indication but no idea of trend, nor of passing values,
whereas an analogue readout gives you trend and instant, if
approximate, value as well. The Tornado's HUD was supposed to be the
best of both worlds.
I now see that a high-end BMW has a HUD, but it's really no more than
a gimmick in my view. There's nothing instantaneous about its
reading as a human still has to assimilate information, however it is
presented. It provides information closer to the road, but it also
concentrates the attention in that part of the view ahead. In
addition, a person has to scan a HUD for information, it doesn't all
get assimilated at once.
There's nothing to beat a useful work-cycle like we teach our
students in flying: lookout, attitude, instruments. Although the
visual attitude isn't as important in a car as it is when flying
visually, the discipline of checking around, ahead and inside is an
important one.
Chris
On 31 Aug 2007, at 00:50, Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> While out looking for a car recently we chanced to try a drive in a
> Honda Civic. I was startled to see a digital speedometer with bright
> white 2-3" high digits occupying a prominent position above another
> instrument cluster. It was an in-your-face display that turned into a
> constant, distracting blur on acceleration or deceleration and never
> actually provided the driver with any useful information. After
> driving
> the car for about 5 minutes I totally rejected it on that basis alone.
> I didn't care what other amenities it might offer. There's no way I
> could live with that for even more than 5 minutes. Who thought
> that was
> a good idea?
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