Don't Scratch Your Face While Driving Mercedes-Benz's Gesture-Controlled Car

I recently read about Microfsoft wanting to licence their Kinnect technology to TV manufacturers to control the TVs. Of course the result of this would be that the entire family would have to sit still when watching TV. What happens if mom is doing the dusting while dad watches sport? The channel changes at a critical moment.

Similar things apply to such a system in a car, but safety becomes an issue as well. It would certainly distract the driver if a passenger caused something to happen by waving their arms, even if that event was non-critical such as the radio suddenly switching on.

Of course Douglas Adams predicted all this years ago. "For years radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch-sensitive - you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same programme."

@Stephanie why should Mercedes help people during an economic crisis? Or is it your view that all product developement should cease worldwide?

Hey! What a great idea! Let's waste more money on stupid crap instead of helping people during an ecomony crisis! YAY!

there are more and more gadgets appearing in cars these days like recieving emails and so on to the screen.It's just more and more discrations really.

I agree. I prefer a knob to turn or a large button to push because I can use them while looking at the road.