Smart New Speedometer Concept from Johnson Controls

As Core77 points out, the way this concept dashboard from Johnson Controls presents the speedometer is sort of hurdurrringly obvious:

While the bulk of the dashboard is ho-hum, at least one new detail is worth looking at, the speedometer gauge. While the gauge to the left of it has the conventional center-mounted needle, the large gauge has a "ring pointer," where the pointer is a graphic on a clear, rotating ring. This simple design innovation frees up the center of the dial so you can display more information.

They could also have the indicator locked to the twelve-o'clock position with the numbers themselves rotating, although it would probably be a little more difficult to visually parse the spaces between the hash marks.

What a difference a gauge makes [Core77]

[#1 posted by Nicholas Weaver , September 13, 2007 9:22 AM]

Its hardly new.

I was in Finland, and a lot of the taxis are E-class mercedes, which use this exact style of spedometer, complete with display in the middle for stereo and other information.

[#2 posted by diluded000 , September 13, 2007 12:56 PM]

I wonder why a transparent gauge needle with an orange tip wouldn't work? But I suppose I'm just old fashion about gauges, or is it steampunk?

[#3 posted by Anonymous , September 13, 2007 1:03 PM]

The Chrysler Pacifica was the first car that I'd seen with the GPS display in the center of the speedometer.

[#4 posted by Dave , September 13, 2007 1:14 PM]

Chrysler's Pacificas have the same setup, and also use the center space inside the dial for Navigation. Family member has one, works pretty well.

[#5 posted by jhoug , September 13, 2007 3:52 PM]

Locking the indicator and having the data move is a bad idea — our brains parse the moving pointer much faster and better.

[#6 posted by Sparrowhawk , September 13, 2007 11:16 PM]

What's really the point, when a "gauge" could be displayed on a ruggedized LCD? Or even just the numbers on a 7 segment display? I mean, is there really any benefit to keeping the mechanical rotating needle, when even large commercial airliners (where safety, durability, and latency/draw times count!) have "glass cockpit" digital gauges?

[#7 posted by Anonymous , September 14, 2007 12:50 AM]

This may be a way to fit more into less but when you get right down to it, nothings changed.
Driving is hard enough for a lot of people with just the normal needle-to-number.

[#8 posted by Anonymous , September 14, 2007 3:43 AM]

> What's really the point, when a "gauge" could be
> displayed on a ruggedized LCD? Or even just the
> numbers on a 7 segment display?

Because a mechanical pointer looks about 1,000,000x better than an LCD graphic, and we all know that style sells automobiles!
As for using a 7-seg display, there has been various research to suggest that the human brain is far more adept at interpreting "angular" information presented by a a pointer over a scale as it is at interpreting ever-changing numbers.

[#9 posted by The Rabbit Ambulance , September 14, 2007 4:33 AM]

What's new about this? My step-father's Mercedes does this, and that car is over two years old (granted it doesn't use the display in the middle for GPS data).