# A Simple Test to Eliminate The FUD



## KarenRei (Jul 27, 2017)

I've been seeing a lot of threads cropping up in different places about people spreading FUD about the Model 3 interface's reliance on a touchscreen. The argument goes, "You have to use the touchscreen for everything..." (actually, you don't, but anyway) ".... and touchscreens take your attention off the road because you have no tactile feedback. Therefore, the Model 3 is inconvenient and dangerous."

We know the counter-arguments. It's placed right in your peripheral view, rather than down low (like most vehicle touchscreens), and due to its huge size (compared to most vehicle touchscreens), all buttons are large and easy to press (rather than frequently identical, small plastic buttons that control most other vehicles). But as it stands, these are just counterarguments - not data. But we could fix that.

REQUIREMENTS:

* One Model 3 owner (any volunteers?  )
* One owner of a "typical" conventional car, full of a whole bunch of typical plastic buttons and knobs
* Stacks of coloured paper (several colours)
* Stopwatch (or equivalent timer, e.g. cell app)
* Volunteers who have never been in either car before (I'm sure this forum could provide lots of people who'd love a chance to get inside a Model 3!  )
* Video camera(s) (or equivalent, e.g. cell phone(s))

STEPS:

1) Each person tries both vehicles in three phases: a) learning the interface and having the distraction task explained to them, b) five minutes practicing with the interface, and c) two minutes being tested with the interface and distraction task. The order in which people try the vehicles is randomized to eliminate any "learning" effect.

2) The distraction task will involve a person standing in front of the vehicle flipping through shuffled coloured paper (once per second?), with the subject assigned to count how many of a specific colour they see. Meanwhile the person administering the task gives the subject a random assignment to do. Examples:

* "Turn the volume up a couple notches."
* "Point the driver's side air at your face."
* "Change the station to [[station name]]."
* "Turn the windshield wipers to the maximum speed."
* "Turn off the fan on the air."
* "Tell me how much [range / fuel] you have left."
* "Turn the temperature down to 65°F"
* "Turn your seat heater on."
* "Point the air from the drivers' side at the passenger's seat."
* "Change to the next radio station and tell me what station it is."
* "Put the rear defroster on."

The person will be scored on A) how well they counted the coloured papers, and B) how many interface interactions they completed in the assigned time. The whole study is filmed (ideally from multiple angles - for example, one showing the cards through the windshield and where the subject is touching, one facing at the subject from the front showing what the're looking at, maybe one from the side to show how much they're leaning, etc), in order to make scoring / analysis easier and to be able to make a nice YouTube video summarizing the study and its results.

Any Model 3 owners care to take part?  I know Tesla doesn't want any "detailed runthroughs of features" videos because they're still rather rough at this point, but I honestly expect the results of this sort of thing to work to their favour. They have an uphill climb ahead of them to convince the public of their new approach.

What do you all think? Would a test like this not be a good idea to do?


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## SoFlaModel3 (Apr 15, 2017)

I like the concept -- very smart!

I know in my "holy that's a lot of buttons and knobs" car -- it was a long time before I figured out what the purpose was behind all of the buttons. The UI is clunky to say the least.

Every car has a learning curve though.

The better case study may be, once learned how quick are we with both. The argument for buttons and knobs is that they're easier to manage without looking (thus keeping your attention on the road). My counter argument to that is that the only things I'm really doing without looking are: adjusting volume, going to the next track, using my turn signals, or turning on the wipers and conveniently each of those items have tactile feedback in Model 3!


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## Michael Russo (Oct 15, 2016)

Trust you recommend we do this in California, rather to wait for our European deliveries, right @KarenRei ? 

Seriously, though, if we could pull this off, @TrevP and @Kennethbokor could make another killer video show out of the test!!


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## KarenRei (Jul 27, 2017)

Michael Russo said:


> Trust you recommend we do this in California, rather to wait for our European deliveries, right @KarenRei ?
> 
> Seriously, though, if we could pull this off, @TrevP and @Kennethbokor could make another killer video show out of the test!!


Sadly, as much as I'd like it to be in Iceland, yes, it'd almost certainly be in California. Or wherever we got a Model 3 volunteer from; that's really the limiting factor. If someone would volunteer to let their Model 3 be used for the test, none of the other aspects should be a problem to arrange.


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## Juergen (Jan 22, 2017)

The Tesla M3 description also includes voice commands. A larger number of operations will be controlled by voice within the scope of OTA upgrades.
The M3s currently on the road are, in my opinion, early beta models that are allowed to mature with the owners.


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## seattlite (Sep 25, 2017)

Interesting list...I can do most of the list using my 2006 prius's steering wheel controls...no need to look down...but I have to glance at middle screen to look at fedback...hands on wheel except to change wiper speed.


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