Comments on: Stupid Prius Tricks – Traction Control Distractions http://www.embracingchaos.com/2008/07/prius-vsc-hack.html Leo Parker Dirac on Business and Technology Trends Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:01:59 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Franc Buve http://www.embracingchaos.com/2008/07/prius-vsc-hack.html/comment-page-1#comment-246 Franc Buve Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:48:43 +0000 http://wp.embracingchaos.com/2008/07/prius-vsc-hack.html#comment-246 <p>It may be a bit distracting, but I have seen it in more cars. I drive a Prius myself, but it has not bothered me. In fact my previous car, a Renault Scenic, had the same warning light when VSC was active. (I don't recall hearing a beep in the Prius when it is active. Could be a difference of the EU-version?) Anyway, during a real emergency you won't have time to notice the light as I know from experience.</p> <p>What really surprises me about Prius, is that with all the information it shows about fuel consumption, it does not show your action radius! That's what I call stupid.</p> It may be a bit distracting, but I have seen it in more cars. I drive a Prius myself, but it has not bothered me. In fact my previous car, a Renault Scenic, had the same warning light when VSC was active. (I don't recall hearing a beep in the Prius when it is active. Could be a difference of the EU-version?) Anyway, during a real emergency you won't have time to notice the light as I know from experience.

What really surprises me about Prius, is that with all the information it shows about fuel consumption, it does not show your action radius! That's what I call stupid.

]]> By: Eric Lippert http://www.embracingchaos.com/2008/07/prius-vsc-hack.html/comment-page-1#comment-245 Eric Lippert Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:48:25 +0000 http://wp.embracingchaos.com/2008/07/prius-vsc-hack.html#comment-245 <p>ABS pumps the brakes so that you can steer while braking. EBD moves braking power between the front and rear brakes, as appropriate. VSC uses gyroscopes to detect when the desired (ie, steering wheel position) motion of the car and its actual motion differ, and transfers power to different wheels to get your motion closer to desired. And Brake Assist detects when you are "panic braking" and puts the brakes on harder.</p> <p>This certainly does sound like a user interface flaw -- if you are a good enough driver to know to steer differently depending on whether ABS is engaged or not, then you are also a good enough driver to feel it kick in through the brake pedal.<br /> </p> ABS pumps the brakes so that you can steer while braking. EBD moves braking power between the front and rear brakes, as appropriate. VSC uses gyroscopes to detect when the desired (ie, steering wheel position) motion of the car and its actual motion differ, and transfers power to different wheels to get your motion closer to desired. And Brake Assist detects when you are "panic braking" and puts the brakes on harder.

This certainly does sound like a user interface flaw — if you are a good enough driver to know to steer differently depending on whether ABS is engaged or not, then you are also a good enough driver to feel it kick in through the brake pedal.

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