Oh, hi, creator of the SmartKnob (mentioned in the article) here - I'm continually blown away by how much UX discussion it has generated over the years!
One of the things I regret a bit about the prototype and demo I originally shared is that I used a press action and the screen as a modal/menu interface. The screen makes for a snazzy demo video, and works great for interfaces where you have the user's full attention (like a smart home control panel) but I think there's a lot more potential for just the haptics, paired with other dedicated buttons to switch to specific (i.e. not a menu of) modes, like this later demo I built using the haptic feedback for a video timeline jog tool: https://youtu.be/J9192DfZplk
The smart knob you made is genuinely one of the best hardware creations I have ever seen. I only wish that I was creative enough to think up good uses for it so that I could put it to work, lol.
Haha, I've built at least 5 of them and my problem is that I enjoy the hardware/design portion as a hobby, but writing the software to put them to use feels too much like my day job, so I haven't actually done anything too useful yet...
I was just thinking about this while checking out the Seedlabs page.
Because now it is somewhat commercially available, and a lot of people (including myself) that previously weren't thinking of having this just because of the hasstle of assembling it themselves, can now consider buying a pre-made unit and play around with it.
I was thinking that it'd be REALLY GREAT if there was an easy way of making "apps" for this smart knob. Kind of like watchfaces or pebble apps. Anything to make it easier for people to play around with this. Maybe a lightweight SDK or something.
I'd be more than happy to contribute to such a thing, but doing this alone is too daunting of a task.
Side note, the 245 EUR price by Seedlabs is equally daunting :(
Your knowledge seems practical and fairly deep to me. I loved electronics so I got an electronics degree and I ended up with an irrational antipathy towards electronics since then. Got a software job instead which turned out to be a great career (compared with most of the electronics guys I know).
I am actually also enjoying the critical thinking about UX that is stemming from this design.
I'm starting to feel that full software modifiable screens are not the "new age" of in-car experience, but a v.01 of highly customizable, highly complicated settings control; a lazy first implementation. What we are seeing with your design is more of the refinement of the concept. So, kudos to you!
I concur with many people that this might still not completely cut for "eyes-free" usage which you need while driving a car. But for a lot of applications, it's a way more premium/refined interface. I'd limit the number of options on the main menu to 5 and already you've reduced the number of buttons from 10 to one knob.
On the note of just using the haptic feedback: did you compare things to the surface dial? I really expected that to gain more "mainstream" traction, but it seems to have fizzled out.
There’s a commercial product that looks like a fancy fancy version of this and I think has a tilt sensor as well.
It’s notable not just because it is loved by some media people, both art and video, but also because it’s shown up on the pilot’s chair in several notable sci fi movies/series with an outer space theme.
I do want more smart devices with analog inputs and outputs though. I feel like Ambient Technologies were onto something but never found the market fit I hoped they would find.
I've used it for 3D CAD and seen it on The Expanse as part of the bridge crash couch props on the Martian vessels. They also used an older model of Black Diamond headlamp for the space suit lights in early seasons. There's a balance to be struck here - too much reuse of modern objects and it pulls you out of the action. I think the Expanse did it well.
It's funny how you mostly just notice the objects you're familiar with. If you look at the prop auctions you see all kinds of "regular objects" integrated into props and sets. Sometimes the really obvious ones mean that particular props have to be shot from certain angles (you don't generally see the bottom of a crash couch for a reason!)
One of the things I regret a bit about the prototype and demo I originally shared is that I used a press action and the screen as a modal/menu interface. The screen makes for a snazzy demo video, and works great for interfaces where you have the user's full attention (like a smart home control panel) but I think there's a lot more potential for just the haptics, paired with other dedicated buttons to switch to specific (i.e. not a menu of) modes, like this later demo I built using the haptic feedback for a video timeline jog tool: https://youtu.be/J9192DfZplk