KITT Instrument Panel Oddities

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KITT Instrument Panel Oddities

Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Mon Nov 03, 2003 10:46 pm

One of the features that bugs me about KITT's dashboards concerns KITT's three regular driving modes.

The modes are as follows:

* Normal Cruise - Moderate speeds, controlled by the driver. Activated by pressing the "NORM" button. Indicated by illumination of the "NORMAL CRUISE" indicator light.

* Auto Cruise - Moderate speeds, controlled by the computer. Activated by pressing the "AUTO" button. Indicated by illumination of the "AUTO CRUISE" indicator light.

* Pursuit - High speeds, controlled by the driver. Activated by pressing the "PURSUIT" button. Indicated by illumination of the "PURSUIT" indicator light.

Nitpick #1: Why is there no "Auto Pursuit" mode? KITT seems to be just as capable of driving himself as Michael is.

Nitpick #2: When super pursuit mode was introduced, why did it not have an indicator of the same design as the other three modes?

If I were redesigning the dashboard, I would arrange the indicator lights as follows:

----------
MANUAL
----------
AUTO
----------
----------
CRUISE
----------
PURSUIT
----------
SUPER PURSUIT
----------

This combination separates the "pilot" information (i.e. who's driving the car) from the information about the "mode" of the engine. I'd similarly regroup the controls into a "Pilot" rocker button for Manual (replacing Normal) and Auto, and three "Mode" radio buttons for Cruise, Pursuit, and Super Pursuit, eliminating the concealed button for that mode.

The combinations of pilot and mode settings would then be operated and indicated as follows:

* Manual Cruise (formerly "Normal Cruise") - Moderate speeds, controlled by the driver. Activated by setting the Pilot rocker button to "MANUAL" and pressing the "CRUISE" Mode button. Indicated by illumination of the "MANUAL" pilot indicator light and the "CRUISE" mode indicator light.

* Auto Cruise - Moderate speeds, controlled by the computer. Activated by setting the Pilot rocker button to "AUTO" and pressing the "CRUISE" Mode button. Indicated by illumination of the "AUTO" pilot indicator light and the "CRUISE" mode indicator light.

* Pursuit (technically "Manual Pursuit") - High speeds, controlled by the driver. Activated by setting the Pilot rocker button to "MANUAL" and pressing the "PURSUIT" Mode button. Indicated by illumination of the "MANUAL" pilot indicator light and the "PURSUIT" mode indicator light.

* Super Pursuit (technically "Manual Super Pursuit") - Extremely high speeds, controlled by the driver. Activated by setting the Pilot rocker button to "MANUAL" and pressing the "SUPER PURSUIT" Mode button. Indicated by illumination of the "MANUAL" pilot indicator light and the "SUPER PURSUIT" mode indicator light.

Obviously, if only the pilot setting were being changed, i.e. changing from Auto Cruise to Manual Cruise, then the driver would simply change the setting of the Pilot rocker button. Likewise, if only the mode setting were being changed, then the driver would simply press the appropriate Mode radio button.

This configuration would also allow for "Auto Pursuit" and "Auto Super Pursuit" modes.

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Post by Benjamin Knight » Mon Nov 03, 2003 11:01 pm

This has gone though my mind a 100 times, I always like to think that both the Auto-Cruise and the other mode's light would be on when KITT is controling him self in Pursuit Mode/SPM. So if he was in Auto-Crusie and whated to go to Pursuit mode, the Auto-Cruise light would stay on and the Pursuit mode light would turn on as well... That would save dash room and be easlier.

As for the whole SPM controls/EBS controls, I think that was for show mainly. However is it just me or does the panel kind'a open up out of hiding. Maybe SPM is a serect feature. So if ever KITT was stole they couldn't use spm without KITT's consent/ they wouldn't know about it. But it would have to be on a blueprint of KITT! :lol: Intresting... :D

Benjamin Knight
:spm:

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Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Mon Nov 03, 2003 11:21 pm

Here are a few images that I just whipped up in order to demonstrate my proposed rearrangement of the indicator lights.

Image
Normal Cruise

Image
Pursuit

Image
Super Pursuit

Image
Auto Cruise

Image
"Auto Pursuit"

Image
"Auto Super Pursuit"

EDIT: Oops. I meant for the "NORMAL" light to read "MANUAL," but I'm sure you get the idea. :lol:

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Post by Benjamin Knight » Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:13 am

Thats, kind'a what I was saying, The Auto-Crusie Light would be on as well as the mode light when KITT is controlling. But I like how you just made it say Auto, that makes it make more sense.... My way would be like "Auto-Cruise Super Pursuit" or "Auto-Cruise Pursuit"... Doesn't sound as nice, but that way you could keep the same lighting on the board without changing it! :) :roll: Not that changing KITT's vocal board area would be so hard... :D Bonnie could do it ten seconds flat, April :? Maybe ten 10 hours... :shock: :o lol lol :lol: I'm just joking! (I like Bonnie more! :wink: I bet you couldn't tell :) )

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Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Wed Nov 05, 2003 9:18 pm

Bonnie was quite the babe, that's for sure.

Does anyone else find anything strange or nonsensical about KITT's instrumentation?

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Post by Knicks4973 » Wed Nov 05, 2003 9:22 pm

It's a fine idea, but kinda impractical. In your scheme, to change KITT to auto crusie you have to hit 2 buttons, maybe just one, but to go to auto-pursuit, you need 2. It's kinda crazy to have to hit 2 buttons when one button does both. And if you need KITT to change to auto cruise quickly, hitting 2 buttons can be cumbersome.

The other problem is his voice modulator is small to begin with. If you add more lights, you won't be able to see the text because the text would be too small.

There's really no need for 4 or 5 lights. Normal Cruise is for the pilot, auto cruise is for KITT and Pursuit can be for both. Michael and KITT seem fine with the current arrangement. Why make KITT more complicated when he already is?

As for the SPM/EBS buttons, my feeling is that they are hidden on the roof. That way there is no way to accidently activate it when KITTs in convertible mode.

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Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Wed Nov 05, 2003 10:22 pm

Knicks4973 wrote:It's a fine idea, but kinda impractical. In your scheme, to change KITT to auto crusie you have to hit 2 buttons, maybe just one, but to go to auto-pursuit, you need 2. It's kinda crazy to have to hit 2 buttons when one button does both. And if you need KITT to change to auto cruise quickly, hitting 2 buttons can be cumbersome.
In most situations, the driver would only need to hit one button.

Auto Pursuit mode was never seen in the TV show. This configuration would allow for that mode if it were ever to be needed. Since it was never seen to be in use, hitting one button or two isn't a big deal.

Maybe 80% of the time, KITT changed between Normal Cruise and Auto Cruise, which in my proposed design would be accomplished by pushing one end of the "Pilot" toggle button.

As far as I can recall, when Super Pursuit Mode was being activated or deactivated, the other mode was Normal Cruise, which in this configuration would be accomplished by pushing one of the three "Mode" buttons.

Again, as far as I can recall, when Pursuit mode was being initiated or deactivated, the other mode was Normal Cruise, which in this configuration would be accomplished by pushing one of the three "Mode" buttons.

So, unless the driver wants to do something funky, the vast majority of the time only one button is used anyway, and if the controls are strategically placed -- such as placing the "Pilot" toggle button on the steering wheel -- then two buttons wouldn't be a big deal at all.
Knicks4973 wrote:The other problem is his voice modulator is small to begin with. If you add more lights, you won't be able to see the text because the text would be too small.
Not really. The three indicator lights are already tall enough to accommodate two rows of text. Going to a five light configuration works fine, since each light would only have a single row of text.

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Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Wed Nov 05, 2003 10:53 pm

After thinking about this some more, I've come to realize that my proposed "five light" display is inconsistent with my proposed button controls.

The Pilot toggle button implies that a feature is being turned ON or OFF. Rather than having a rocker-style toggle button, a push on/push off toggle button makes more sense. The button would engage or disengage the automatic pilot. This button is better labeled as "Auto Pilot."

The three Mode radio buttons are fine. Again, there would be a Cruise button, a Pursuit button, and a Super Pursuit button.

The number of indicator lights can then be reduced to four. There would be three Mode lights -- Cruise, Pursuit, and Super Pursuit, and a single Auto Pilot light that would be unlit when the car is on manual pilot, and lit when the car is on automatic pilot.

The following images compare the season 3/4 indicator displays to my latest redesign proposal.

Image

Image

This redesign is actually simpler than the Season 3/4 design, because it correctly distinguishes that two items of data are being displayed: the Pilot setting (Auto Pilot on, or Auto Pilot off), and the Mode setting (Cruise, Pursuit, or Super Pursuit). In the Season 3/4 design, the pilot setting of Pursuit Mode has to be assumed. The redesign also displays Super Pursuit Mode in a standardized manner. In the Season 3/4 design, for Michael to determine whether or not KITT was in SPM, he had to look over at the SPM/EBS display... or look out one of the windows to see if the SPM doohickeys were deployed.

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Post by Benjamin Knight » Wed Nov 05, 2003 11:25 pm

Just thought of something, what about slient mode, I like that mode. Guess it would be the same as the rest of them. As for facey button pushing, I see your point. However you can just tell kitt, "Auto SPM" etc. However as for pushing the buttons... humm, How about if you push the mode button again after its in that mode, it switchs to Auto then back if you hit it again.

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Post by sofchance » Wed Nov 05, 2003 11:43 pm

Here's something that hasn't come up yet:

In KOTP, Michael tells KITT he is putting him on "Auto Pursuit" (during the demolition derby in part 2) and he only hits the "AUTO" button. The pursuit button does not light up.
Then again, this was the first episode...

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Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Thu Nov 06, 2003 12:02 am

Benjamin Knight wrote:Just thought of something, what about slient mode, I like that mode. Guess it would be the same as the rest of them.
Good question! In the case of my redesign, I interpreted the term "mode" to refer to an engine configuration that's optimized for a certain performance level. Cruise Mode, for example, would be optimized for slow to moderately fast speeds. Pursuit Mode would be optimized for moderately fast to high speeds. Super Pursuit Mode would be optimized for extremely high speeds.

If we interpret "Silent Mode" to be a shrouding of sound emanated from the engine regardless of its configuration (Cruise, Pursuit, or Super Pursuit), then the control and indicator for Silent Mode would be fine as it is on the TV show. If we interpret "Silent Mode" to instead be a lower speed of engine operation -- say, a configuration slower than Cruise Mode -- then its control and indicator would belong in my redesign.

I tend to think of Silent Mode as a shrouding of sound regardless of the engine's configuration, so the TV show's control for Silent Mode would be fine.
Benjamin Knight wrote:However you can just tell kitt, "Auto SPM" etc. However as for pushing the buttons... humm, How about if you push the mode button again after its in that mode, it switchs to Auto then back if you hit it again.
Of course, telling KITT what mode to change to would make all of the buttons unnecessary, wouldn't it? :wink:

Your two-position Mode button idea is also reasonable. Whatever alternative is used, I believe that the car's pilot setting and engine setting should be clearly distinguished.

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Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Thu Nov 06, 2003 12:09 am

sofchance wrote:Here's something that hasn't come up yet:

In KOTP, Michael tells KITT he is putting him on "Auto Pursuit" (during the demolition derby in part 2) and he only hits the "AUTO" button. The pursuit button does not light up.
Then again, this was the first episode...
I don't remember that happening, but the use of an Auto Pursuit mode clearly indicates that the TV show's NORMAL CRUISE/AUTO CRUISE/PURSUIT button and indicator system is inadequate for controlling the modes of the car. In that control system, the pilot setting associated with Pursuit Mode is unclear. A combination of AUTO CRUISE and PURSUIT for Auto Pursuit confuses the purposes of each individual button and indicator. And how would you activate Auto Pursuit mode? Woudld you press Pursuit and then Auto? That would presumably change KITT to Pursuit Mode (pilot setting unclear), and then Auto Cruise, which isn't what you want. Would you press Auto and then Pursuit? That seems somewhat reasonable, but it's still confusing, since Auto alone is associated with Cruise Mode. How would the indicator lights indicate Auto Pursuit mode? The Pursuit indicator alone always implied "Normal Pursuit" mode. Having both the Auto Cruise and Pursuit indicators lit is confusing, because there's nothing "Cruise"-like about Auto Pursuit mode.

I know I'm being a nitpicker here, but I thought this might be a fun and different line of conversation. :)

EDIT: In Joe Huth IV and Richie F. Levine's excellent book Knight Rider Legacy, the authors speculate that Michael Knight and KITT worked together for eight years, the first four of which were documented in the TV series. I imagine my redesign would be part of an as yet unseen dashboard from Seasons 5 through 8. :lol:

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Post by cloudkitt » Thu Nov 06, 2003 10:02 pm

In the strictest sense, as long as the AI was always on, the dash didn't need any buttons. I realize that when he's in manual override you would need them. But if it was perma-AI, you could just tell KITT when you wanted to do something.

And damn I want that car...lol
Michael: "KITT! Where are ya?!"
K.I.T.T.: "I'm in your parking space, Michael, where else would I be?"

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Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Thu Nov 06, 2003 11:04 pm

cloudkitt wrote:In the strictest sense, as long as the AI was always on, the dash didn't need any buttons. I realize that when he's in manual override you would need them. But if it was perma-AI, you could just tell KITT when you wanted to do something.

And damn I want that car...lol
Technically Michael could have told KITT what he wanted to do... but it takes much less time to press the Turbo Boost button than it would take to say something like, "KITT, turbo boost now!"

And I want the car, although I would probably want a replica with a redesigned instrument panel. Much of KITT's technology is still the stuff of science fiction -- if not fantasy -- but a well designed instrument panel to theoretically control that technology is very doable.

Another example of a design oddity: those friggin switch pods from seasons three and four. How did those things work?

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Post by Benjamin Knight » Thu Nov 06, 2003 11:12 pm

Knight Industries 3000 wrote:
Another example of a design oddity: those friggin switch pods from seasons three and four. How did those things work?
What friggin switch pods!??! :lol: :lol:

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Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Thu Nov 06, 2003 11:48 pm

^ The "pods" attached to the steering column, each of which contained a cluster of buttons. The Turbo Boost button, for example, was on the right switch pod.

I seem to remember the Season 3/4 switch pods consisting of two columns of indicator lights, with a single column of tiny buttons. Each button somehow seemed to be associated with the indicator light on the left and the right. Is that correct? If so, then how the heck does the driver control which of the two functions is being controlled by the button?

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Post by JL » Fri Nov 07, 2003 8:21 am

There's a pair of arrows at the top of each switchpod. Presumably, Michael would press the arrow corresponding to the column of buttons he wanted to use, which would then render all of those functions active, and the functions on the other half of the switchpod would be unavailable until Michael pressed the other arrow.

Sort of impractical, but it sure did look cool! :)

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Post by Knight Industries 3000 » Sat Nov 08, 2003 10:18 am

Hmm... if that's the case, then I prefer the plain-Jane pushbuttons from the Season 1/Season 2 dash. 8)

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