Cool ideas for the knock sensors?

[paul-kirchner]

Morse code SOP

Save Our Planet

[ROMAD]

… — .–.

[Sam]

I saw the knocking first, then I saw it charged to a wave up and out down. But now back to knocking. Personally, I preferred waving.

[Riley]

I remember hearing that it might be possible to configure the knocking something like 3 knocks to open both doors. Plenty of situations where a guy can open their partners door for them.

[ROMAD]

Somebody will use the knock version of “Shave and a haircut, two bits”!

[alex-bottinelli]

I love the idea of the knock sensors. However… what happens when it’s raining? How do you prevent a door or the hatchback from opening when you’re near the car and it’s raining? Heavy rain could certainly create a sound that could potentially trigger a knock sensor. A false positive causing one of the three doors to open could be catastrophic.

[gary-mcintire]

Good point! Sparse hail could sound identical to a knock as well

[konijntje]

that’s actually a very good question…

[Leaver]

This is exactly the kind of gimmicky crap that really puts me off of many new cars (Aptera and others), and will probably result in me just pulling out of my #1100ish reservation. Falling nuts and pine cones from trees could also trigger them. How about a good old fashion key?… no aps, no electronic devices, no computer screen driven UI to operate the dang thing. EVs are supposed to be all about simplicity, yet time and again manufacturers go out of their way to complicate things… sometimes in the name of saving a few bucks, but more often to try and appeal to what they perceive as being a “cool factor”. The coolest designs to me have always been the simplest ones.

My fingers are still crossed that someone comes out with a simple and affordable e-crate conversion kit, (like the one proposed by GM for years now). My dream EV is a converted 1980s vintage Chevy S10. Sigh… I was really excited about Aptera when I reserved one on the first day they took reservations. But it has been a downward slide ever since.

• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by  Leaver.

[Sam]

Will you be auctioning off your place in queue?

[Leaver]

no

[harry-parker]

I know what you mean. My Chevy Volt has a feature that opens all the windows when you lean on the unlock button on your key fob. I discovered this when I found my windows wide open one snowy morrning after a storm. Apparently some coins in my pocket pressed aagainst my key fob in my pants while I sat in a soft comfy couch that evening. 😣

I’m sure you’ll be able to turn off that knock knock feature if you want and stick to only waving your key card.

The UI screen would be harder to do without. You want simplicity? The simplest button or switch is no button or switch, just a colored spot on a touch screen that costs nothing to add. If you want no electronic devices I’m afraid you’re stuck with old unreliable 1990 vintage or earlier cars or cycles.

[kerbe2705]

@Harry Parker On my pre-fob VW, putting the key into the driver’s door lock and turning it to the right -and holding it there – would open all the windows. On my Honda you must press the lock button on the fob and then press-and-hold the same button to open all the windows.

To pre-condition the cabin (either heat or AC) I must press the lock button until the directionals flash once, then hold down another button until the directionals blink six times. The other option to activate preconditioning is to use the amazingly unreliable Honda phone app.

[Greek]

Creating a new product with an all new way of manufacturing along with a completely different way of approaching problems of weight and aerodynamics is already mind shattering. Although I agree with you with some of the gimmicks (for lack of a better word) may not be needed. It will also be something that advances some added convenience to our everyday lives. APTERA is looking to progress this in many ways, they are trying to address questions that have never been asked. Some of what we saw thus far will make it into production and some not. This is the movement of progress, I’m sure when airbags or antilock breaks were introduced many people considered them gimmicks, now they are considered standard features. I am hoping MK that for the time you have been a reservation holder that you may want to reconsider dropping your res for a bit longer until the Delta vehicle is produced and all the facts and features are displayed and at the end of it all, could you see yourself having a vehicle you truly want and or need.

[Tam]

With you with gimmicky crap. Those pedals…However…

My first thought when I saw the videos is how hard and purposeful the knocks were in the demo. Maybe sensitivity set to low, or just the fear of it not working in the demo, or both. Anyway unless you park your aptera under a hammer tree in the fall you should be all right.

[JRWiley]

I really like the idea of easy entry. Knock-knock is fine. Hand wave is fine. If there is some kind of security issue, maybe being able to set a unique rhythm pattern, like a pin or pattern entry on a smart phone might do it. In any case I was under the impression that a key card or active phone app (phone in hand, purse or pocket) had to also be present for the knock, or whatever, to work. A hands free method would be great for me, but this is probably a bad idea.

[kerbe2705]

@John Wiley It’s my understanding that you are correct: The knock will only be recognized if the knocker’s phone, fob or key card is present. In addition, it will not activate while the vehicle is in motion (someone expressed concern about the sound of hail or falling pine cones…).

[Russell]

Hitting the car twice to open the hatch is cute but… my wife’s car was built back in 2014 and you only have to hit the hatch button once. Just sayin.

[Greek]

Still…you have to fumble around or at least have your key fob in your hand to press button. Keeping everything in your pocket and tapping on the vehicle is a bit more convenient. Or if you wish use your phone to pop up your door or hatch.

[Nate]

On modern cars you just need the fob in your pocket. There is usually a button on the hatch to open it, or even a spot to wave your foot.

[george-hughes]

I’m guessing the aftermarket may be able to oblige. Imagine something like a stick-on blister button that serves as a switch that can be programmed to be recognized by the UI by mimicking the signal the door open button on your phone. The same type of ‘add-on’ could be placed as blister buttons on the door allowing the driver to raise or lower the window by pressing one or the other (or it simply reverses direction with each depression.)

I suspect if the phone app can do something with bluetooth, then so could these special purpose switches. You could have that favorite of all for owners of exotic cars, the hidden, custom kill switch in addition to remote single purpose switches for windows or other programmed functions.

[Pistonboy]

I miss the three lights. I was looking forward to waving my hand and saying abra-ka-dabra.

[Greek]

Plus the fact that there will be people (my wife) that will bang the vehicle with their rings. How do I stop that?

[kerbe2705]

@John Voules Hide her rings – or remove her fingers?

[Greek]

I’m hoping to convince her how beautiful she is with gloves. Remove her fingers….WoW

[kevin-bradbury]

Surprisingly, I thought twice about going there, but @kerbe2705 stepped up.😄

[trollfaced-hudagmail-com]

• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by  my_discord_number_is_0328 bloody stupid.

[trollfaced-hudagmail-com]

looks like images arnt working, so this is typed out versioN:

door system explaination fixed: rotating cyilnder connected to door,it rotates by bearings srolling insie of a depression of a non moving cyilnder, looking like a inverse worm gear. this pushes door outward while rotating door a bit to make the pushing action show user that the door is also to be rotated. when door is far enouhg from cabin, it can rotate as normal without moving foward or backward, the depression shape on the non moving cyilnder will allow this. when door unlocked, a rod sticks out so door cannot close, the space between cabin and door should be big to allow user grip the doors side to open. no need for door handle. simpler version that will require user to instruct user by paint sticker on door, to pull toward him door after rotating it when closing door: get rid of system with cyilnder with the line of depression in it. allow manual key to be manual if cannot fix the probalme of wireless hacking stealing cars with wireless key fob, allow radiation kill-switch by button combination and instructions to do so on the key fob. have door unlock and pop out by remote key buttons and manual key, knokcing to open doors allows stealing this design would make door not go beyond wheel covers, which could make it hard to get out the car in tight parking spaces <time aria-label=”Edited Today at 6:27 PM” datetime=”2022-09-20T22:27:24.625Z”>(edited)</time>

• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by  my_discord_number_is_0328 bloody stupid.

[Pragmatic_to_a_Fault]

questions:

If the “knock” sensor is tied to a Key Fob or RFID chip card etc. once you are in the car, what happens if a “would be car jacker” walks up and knocks on the door ? hmmmmm ?

that said , all the doors would have to be linked to the Key Fob or RFID etc. otherwise, how would you let a passenger in ? how would you get out ? what keeps a thief from jacking you ?

I haven’t seen anything about the safety aspect of the whole idea.

what was wrong with the original finger print opening ?

[Riley]

The knock sensors are so unique that for many years it may actually be what prevents you from getting carjacked.

I assume many features of aptera will copy Tesla.

If you are in drive or reverse the knock sensors will be disabled. As soon as it’s in park they will be active unless you tap the lock on the screen.

The RFID card won’t open the door unless it is held up directly against the reader located where you knock. You don’t have to knock it will just open

The most annoying thing to me is when I purposefully leave my phone in the car with the Bluetooth off and the phone than decides to turn Bluetooth on than anyone can open the door even if I am far away from the car.

The key fob works just like my phone but can’t be disabled so don’t ever leave the fob in the car either.

I would like the addition of a finger print sensor as well as the option of disabling the knock sensor if I want.

[Pragmatic_to_a_Fault]

They started out saying it would be a finger print sensor. If apple can do it on their phones. Aptera can do it on the car,

Unless they are just going for the “gimmick” oooo aaaaah moment and using the knock knock bs

• This reply was modified 8 months, 1 week ago by  James Lee.

[Greek]

My concern with not having some type of handle to open the door from the outside has more to do with winter. Ice can form between gaps that may keep the door from popping up. Usually with my other vehicles it just need a bit of an assist to prop open. Usually done so by grabbing door handle and pulling fairly hard. I’ve never been locked out of my car, I don’t want to start having that problem not having something to grasp to assist the APTERA door mechanism.

I’ve had 2 BMW M3s that also had an unusual problem. If battery is dead ( BMW partially lowers the window as you enter the vehicle ). With a dead battery can’t open the door and if you did, when you closed it the window would not align to actually recluse the door.

[jonathan-stedman]

I would want a knock sensor in the wheel pods to let me know if anyone had driven into them while parked and perhaps damaged them cosmetically or structurally. Some sort of feedback, green for a slight kiss through to red for “get your wheels checked for alignment and suspension damage”. I drove a kit car based on an MGB which had cycle wings and they were forever being clipped in parking bays. The fibre glass would just flex and occasionally the struts holding the cycle wings bent and I would bend them back. There was never damage to the wheel, but I think these pods look a little more fragile and less forgiving.

[Riley]

I don’t think a knock sensor would work very well for that but a GeForce sensor like ones found in dashcams would be able to tell you the amount of force. you could get a readout of how hard your wheel hit a pothole and even map out all the smoothest roads.

The wheel pants will be surprisingly strong and should flex under most impacts. If the impact was violent enough to cause a misalignment than someone really messed up.