From the EDge

Like a moth to a flame I am drawn to this Toyota “sudden acceleration” or “sticky accelerator” problem and recall. Partly this is a case of taking the boy out of the auto industry, but you can’t take the auto industry out of the boy, so here I am. I have spoken out a few times on Facebook with news postings because I do think it is important to be aware and to be able to control any such event as a driver. I now realize that a single longer post that I imagined cannot address this subject, so I am only admitting to this being the first longer post but see more coming.

My reaction generally is about driver behavior. So-called unintended acceleration has made headlines for years. My sense is that typically these are cases of driver confusion and stepping on the accelerator instead of the brake. Often drivers have been elderly but in any case drivers did not intentionally step on the accelerator and cannot possibly believe they were on the accelerator by mistake. In more complex cases I am similarly suspicious of things like the floor mats that Toyota has found in some cases. The anecdotal evidence in current cases does imply something more complex. Yet I still want to see human factors eliminated–or understood.

I am more interested in this general problem more than any “Toyota problem.” I cringe at the term “unintended acceleration” because often this is not totally unintended, but really a stuck accelerator. Of course when you take you foot off the pedal the result then is certainly unintended. I think we should call these stuck or sticky accelerators, which is what Toyota is responding to with the current recall. Of course if I am writing a headline or representing the plaintiff I want to use provocative language.

The problem of a sticking accelerator is as old as the engine, maybe even horses before. Classically this should be manageable by a driver paying attention and might only occasionally result in some parking or close traffic incidents. Because of the surprise element we can understand how such problems could cause panic leading occasionally to more serious problems. I imagine that drivers might get warnings if the car was one they drove regularly, but reasonably one could overlook even forewarnings. Problems in this category while potentially very scary should be able to be corrected by driver action, such as braking, shifting or turning off the ignition. At least that is my first “easy” answer.

Modern vehicle control systems introduce many complexities between the driver and resulting vehicle actions. A modern joke goes “why does a BMW have wheels?” To keep the computers from dragging on the ground. Now this applies to all cars. We know way too much about computer errors to wonder how these systems may act. Such control systems are still in relative infancy and manufacturers have different designs in production. Our fears can be exaggerated contemplating a computer taking over our input signals.

In the 80’s when lawyers went after Audi, truth went out the window. Lawyers had “expert witnesses” rig up very bizarre test sequences to show how such acceleration might occur. Only a US jury could decide that rich Audi must pay the victims of such incidents under the most questionable evidence. We have evolved, for better and worse, with product liability lawyers helping us search for someone to blame for any accidental event. I am concerned that our elected lawyers will start this process by targeting headline events, especially the recent tragic accident. At the same time is not bad to bring pressure on the auto industry by questioning what systems are in place from design through production to ensure that our vehicles meet expected safety requirements.

So where am I going with this story? Everyday brings something new and I already have a few commentaries I want to write. One fundamental reason is that writing is a tool for me. Sloppy thinking is much easier in verbal jousts. I use writing to force logical discipline and that is what I am hoping we can get in this very public episode about vehicle brakes. I feel I should share with whatever audience cares about this specific issue, driving in general and the ever evolving man-machine interface. The one thing I am already convinced of is that this is not about Toyota and it is not about brakes. That said I think my next post will be very much about the current news headlines.

As I usually do, I walked every inch of the CES floor (well almost) and found it not much different than other CES shows, except it sure was easier walking. Not ever did I take a different aisle to avoid a crowd, nor I was jostled much, and there was little need for zigging and zagging down the aisles. From this attendees view that was not bad, but certainly the reduced traffic is sign of the economic times. Still there is no better place to get a handle on the consumer tech industry.

An advantage that I enjoyed was the ability to engage in useful extended conversations with product managers and engineers. Since my life has shifted to more of a software focus I miss tracking hardware evolution from an insider view. I had two longer conversations with Intel engineers, one on wireless and another about platform issues.

Wireless has been an evolving story for some time and now we are pushing into reality for wirelessly moving video around your house. While it is obvious why we may want this, I have to question how much we should be pushing wireless especially at higher frequencies. I am no Chicken Little about this, but there is no question we don’t know a lot. The newer high speed solution uses two frequencies and needs the high frequency for maximum bandwidth. While there are built-in algorithms for allocating the transmission, I would like some choice of selecting a preferred frequency, but this would be an acknowledgement that it just might be important.

I was far more impressed with flat wiring alternatives for moving data. Two vendors were at CES. I did not get into all the details, but I was very impressed with the concept. If you have not seen this imagine being able to wire (essentially anything) just like using wallboard tape. Spackle over and paint like no one was ever there—I think that is the deal? Here is where it should be trivial to mention the two companies I saw at CES. I have no sample, no business card, brochure or any schwag to make that easy. Even worse, it is not easy to find in the CES Show Directory. After some research I see Southwire as one of the company’s with their product Flatwire. The wire is available in modest spool sizes for do-it-yourself projects.

My other enlightening conversation with an Intel engineer was about platforms. Intel was trying to show how the different platforms are to be used, I think to be especially sure that consumers don’t adopt Atom-based solutions for all computing! The industry has never been completely integrated from hardware (processors, etc.) to software (Microsoft mostly), but this is keeping users from the best exploitation of the technology available. There are several dimensions to getting the most from available technology. The quad processor offers plenty of technical advantages, but how can apps and you take the best advantage? You can’t really, but it can get better. We have been sold multi-threading for some time, but this is a new dimension—IF you could actually effectively use four processors. It is a problem for each app, but of more interest to me is how could the O.S. best serve users? Unfortunately I think there is a lot of theory and capability, but I don’t think it will soon be exploited fully. And, yes, the Atom processor was everywhere, but it is not the only processor being used for various netbook products.