The evolution of user interfaces of “real stuff” is fascinating to me. Some product categories have changed dramatically since I’ve been paying attention. Even common household items that work just fine get updated.
Consider the doorknob. Doorknobs have evolved from a basic utilitarian, mechanical tool to control access to rooms to something much more. Have a look at this example time line (dates are my guesstimate after a bit of googling):
(Sorry, photo lost during upgrade of WordPress.)
(For this post, I’m only interested in the user interface functionality of the knobs — clearly the visual design and mechanical engineering involved evolves.)
In all four examples shown, the basic function is exactly the same: a turnable door knob with a lock. But I’d say that things have gotten more useful — both for people using the knobs and for people installing them. Biometric locks that require no physical key mean less hassle and risk for people, and since knob and lock are now integrated, installation is (I suspect) easier and faster.
We’ve gone from physically turning the lock with a key to a “fly-by-wire” approach, where some electronics are involved. You swipe your key card or fingerprint and an embedded computer tells a motor to do the bulk of the mechanical work. At least in San Francisco, I see plenty of real-world examples of card-entry, and some biometrics, so I know these are commercially available to builders.
So why is there so little fly-by-wire convenience in modern plumbing? There have been some advances — I used a nifty thermostatic shower at a hotel once, which kept the temperature constant automatically to within a few degrees.
Rather than dwell on that question, here is a quick and rough concept I mocked up for a fly-by-wire shower control:
(Sorry, photo lost during upgrade of WordPress.)
Big push-buttons to turn on/off the water, a big analog knob to select a target temperature, a display showing the temperature (so you can know “your temperature” and use anywhere, such as a hotel), a “ready” indicator that lights/beeps when your target is reached, and 3 programmable user presets.
Too complicated? Is this the iDrive of shower controls?
