Adding tactile "bumps" to find controls

[VBMav]

As someone who is old enough to have had two years of typing in high school so that I know the value of those raised lines on the F and J keys on a keyboard, I think this is a fantastic idea. Well done!!

As someone who is old enough that typing was taught with a hammer and chisel, I had not noticed those raised lines before. Or maybe I had but hadn't paid any attention to them. I can report that the Microsoft Basic Keyboard on my PC and the built-in keyboard on my Dell laptop have those raised lines!
See, I've learned something today just by reading the MTC forum!

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[lga0213]

As someone who is old enough that typing was taught with a hammer and chisel, I had not noticed those raised lines before. Or maybe I had but hadn't paid any attention to them. I can report that the Microsoft Basic Keyboard on my PC and the built-in keyboard on my Dell laptop have those raised lines!
See, I've learned something today just by reading the MTC forum!

 

[lga0213]

Allow me to further your keyboard education: those are called home keys, so that your hands can find their proper placement on a keyboard by feeling those keys with your index fingers to know where your hand is over the keyboard without looking, which brings us right back to the point of the OP’s original post about putting the dots on the steering wheel keys, to find the correct key without looking. The OP is using various quantities and placement dots to identify which button you are touching. It just requires a little training of your muscle memory to know which button has which dots.

 

[GPSMan]

Here is a simple, easy little idea that I tried and found helpful on my Maverick, and maybe someone else could use as well. This of course is not my idea, but an adaptation of something done years ago.

When I finally got my Maverick, it took time getting used to all the information on the screens and dash vying for attention, and many controls and their locations.

My daily driver has been a Focus, and has control buttons in the steering wheel for cruise, etc, that are not lighted, so Ford molded tactile "braille" like bumps on the central buttons on the wheel so they can be found without being able to see them. My wife and I often drive distances in the dark, and I frequently use the up and down volume controls on my Maverick wheel as we go and talk. They are lit, but you pretty much have to look down from the road every time to find them - at least I did. So I got the idea to try adding some small bumps on the commonly used switches so I could find them just by touch and keep eyes on the road, day or night.

I had a partial tube of JB Weld plastic bonder epoxy on hand, so I mixed some and used a toothpick to add a couple of small bumps about the size of a pin head on the volume controls (see photo below). I didn't even take the switches off the wheel to do it - I just dabbed some on the wheel switches right in the truck until it looked about the right size and let it sit overnight. It didn't sag, and formed a perfect bead. Keep a piece of paper towel handy in case you don't like how they are going on, and just wipe them off and try again.

I put one dot on the volume down, and two dots on the volume up. I worked perfectly for me to find the buttons with my thumb and keep watching the road. I found that keeping around 1/4" spacing on the beads let me easily feel the difference and find the one I want. I didn't find the size of the bumps to be critical, just so they are large enough to feel easily. I also tried to avoid the lit volume icons on the switches.

It worked well, so when I upgraded the left wheel switch assembly, I took the idea farther and added some new patterns to mark more controls. I didn't have any of the JB Weld product left, so I went to the hardware store (they didn't carry the JB Weld) and bought some Permatex equivalent product, and it didn't have the same viscosity or surface tension to form beads. I went back and got the Loctite equivalent, and it didn't make decent beads either. So stick to the JB Weld product and you will have good results. There is nothing wrong with either alternate product to bond plastic, just not for beads!

I'm a bit surprised that Ford engineers that just do controls for a living don't think about little things like this. The control button faces should be simple open-and-shut molds that can pull these bumps without any additional cost to the molded button faces. Hmmm.

I've wanted to do this for years for my home devices remote controls. I think this is the push I need to actually do it.

Nice post.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Nice job. Maybe get a blind or vision impaired friend to feel them to tell you what they mean. lol
That’s a very clean job though. Whenever I use that stuff it’s a mess.

I know a guy that you might want to think twice about asking him to feel your buttons.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Exactly. The two vol. buttons are easily found by feel, w/o the need to look at the wheel. And the radio vol/power knob on the dash is just as easily found, as it couldn't be in a better location, ergonomically - at least for me. Reach out with my right hand and the knob is exactly where it should be.

Now, that damned driving "mode" button way down on the console - that's another story. It could use this type of find-by-feel bump. But I just don't trust myself to start applying JBWeld to the console, without making a royal mess! Perhaps I'll dig out my antique DYMO label gun and put a [ • ] on it with that.

Thanks for the idea, GDI Guy

Perhaps a raised "nipple" on the LOW button that got hard when Low is activated and soft when it's off?

 

[surfstar]

Perhaps a raised "nipple" on the LOW button that got hard when Low is activated and soft when it's off?

The nipple is how you turn it on.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

The nipple is how you turn it on.

Yes.. but I want the L button higher than the top of the selector knob so I can find it without looking. Once it's found if the top is soft I can feel that and push on it to turn low on and then if the nipple gets hard I'll feel that it's active all without actually looking for or at it.

 

[JBryant]

As someone who is old enough to have had two years of typing in high school so that I know the value of those raised lines on the F and J keys on a keyboard, I think this is a fantastic idea. Well done!!

Typing. What's that? Most of the younger generation have no clue. Is that something like writing in cursive? I spend an average of 5 hours at my keyboard running my business, typing page after page and do not understand how people who cannot use a QWERTY keyboard can survive. I well remember we had to do 70 wpm to get an A and that was on an old manual typewriter. Old enough to remember first calculator after I got out of college. My, how times have changed.

 

[OrCoaster]

Typing. What's that? Most of the younger generation have no clue. Is that something like writing in cursive? I spend an average of 5 hours at my keyboard running my business, typing page after page and do not understand how people who cannot use a QWERTY keyboard can survive. I well remember we had to do 70 wpm to get an A and that was on an old manual typewriter. Old enough to remember first calculator after I got out of college. My, how times have changed.

text to speech is where it is at for them. Or thumb drive. I agree the proper use, no peeking, at the keyboard is a fundamental task for most of us.

 

[Jeff D.]

I think the OP's idea was good and can see value in having those bumps.

I can usually learn where each control and button is after enough time and it's more muscle memory when I finally do, but................

A spring chicken I am not. I have hard time seeing the words or symbols on many/most of the buttons without cheaters, and I don't like driving with cheaters on.

The other day I was heading to the dealer to pick up my plates. I thought I'd try the voice commands to see what directions it would give back. I could not see which button was the one to activate voice commands. Even at the stop sign I still couldn't make it out.

When I got to the dealer I found my cheaters and figured out the right button. I will remember where it is now.

I do appreciate the speed being displayed in actual digital numbers in addtion to having a needle. I can actually make out the digital numbers, lol.

Anything outside my vehicle I can see just fine, so that's a plus.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

Funny how Ford revolutionized the car world when they made the lock and unlock buttons feel different on the original Ford Taurus. And all knobs and switches in the 90s could be used with gloves on.. But now some car makers are all "touch screen EVERYTHING!!!!"

 

[Snowbird]

Here is a simple, easy little idea that I tried and found helpful on my Maverick, and maybe someone else could use as well. This of course is not my idea, but an adaptation of something done years ago.

When I finally got my Maverick, it took time getting used to all the information on the screens and dash vying for attention, and many controls and their locations.

My daily driver has been a Focus, and has control buttons in the steering wheel for cruise, etc, that are not lighted, so Ford molded tactile "braille" like bumps on the central buttons on the wheel so they can be found without being able to see them. My wife and I often drive distances in the dark, and I frequently use the up and down volume controls on my Maverick wheel as we go and talk. They are lit, but you pretty much have to look down from the road every time to find them - at least I did. So I got the idea to try adding some small bumps on the commonly used switches so I could find them just by touch and keep eyes on the road, day or night.

I had a partial tube of JB Weld plastic bonder epoxy on hand, so I mixed some and used a toothpick to add a couple of small bumps about the size of a pin head on the volume controls (see photo below). I didn't even take the switches off the wheel to do it - I just dabbed some on the wheel switches right in the truck until it looked about the right size and let it sit overnight. It didn't sag, and formed a perfect bead. Keep a piece of paper towel handy in case you don't like how they are going on, and just wipe them off and try again.

I put one dot on the volume down, and two dots on the volume up. I worked perfectly for me to find the buttons with my thumb and keep watching the road. I found that keeping around 1/4" spacing on the beads let me easily feel the difference and find the one I want. I didn't find the size of the bumps to be critical, just so they are large enough to feel easily. I also tried to avoid the lit volume icons on the switches.

It worked well, so when I upgraded the left wheel switch assembly, I took the idea farther and added some new patterns to mark more controls. I didn't have any of the JB Weld product left, so I went to the hardware store (they didn't carry the JB Weld) and bought some Permatex equivalent product, and it didn't have the same viscosity or surface tension to form beads. I went back and got the Loctite equivalent, and it didn't make decent beads either. So stick to the JB Weld product and you will have good results. There is nothing wrong with either alternate product to bond plastic, just not for beads!

I'm a bit surprised that Ford engineers that just do controls for a living don't think about little things like this. The control button faces should be simple open-and-shut molds that can pull these bumps without any additional cost to the molded button faces. Hmmm.

Great idea! I was going to glue on some small silicon bumpers that are often used on cabinet doors to some of my controls.

 

[JBryant]

text to speech is where it is at for them. Or thumb drive. I agree the proper use, no peeking, at the keyboard is a fundamental task for most of us.

I agree, but man, have you ever had a dictation to your phone for a text or answer to email come out crazy. If you do not carefully proofread, no telling what AI might type

 

[Jorah_L]

I'll likely use this idea but on the buttons (like the drive mode button) down on the console between the seats. About 5 minutes after I figured out what those buttons were for, I started wondering why they put no tactile indicators on them...

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