Effect of Polarized Sunglasses on Model S's Touchscreen & Dashboard

[smorgasbord]

Got to sit a Model S Beta model with my Maui Jims this morning. The good news is that the view through these polarized sunglasses was very nice - way better than looking at my iPhone 3GS, for instance.

The video below shows how tilting your head affects how much light gets through. Interestingly, the Dashboard screen wasn't symmetric. 45 degrees to the right and the screen is completely dark. But, you can go past 90 to the left without affecting brightness much.

[doug]

Got to sit a Model S Beta model with my Maui Jims this morning. The good news is that the view through these polarized sunglasses was very nice - way better than looking at my iPhone 3GS, for instance.

The video below shows how tilting your head affects how much light gets through. Interestingly, the Dashboard screen wasn't symmetric. 45 degrees to the right and the screen is completely dark. But, you can go past 90 to the left without affecting brightness much.

Cool! Glad to finally see that test done. When level, your sunglasses are vertically polarized (to block horizontally polarized glare). Looks like the output of the 17" touch screen is also vertically polarized, which is great.

Looks like the instrument cluster screen is a more standard LCD and has the typical 45 degree diagonal polarization. To get extinction by tilting to the left, you'd need to go past 90 to 135 degrees. Though, too bad they couldn't get a vertically polarized LCD for that as well.

[AndyM]

Thank you for the test video! This is a good confirmation that TM has user experience in mind in the design.

[AnOutsider]

Cool! Glad to finally see that test done. When level, your sunglasses are vertically polarized (to block horizontally polarized glare). Looks like the output of the 17" touch screen is also vertically polarized, which is great.

Looks like the instrument cluster screen is a more standard LCD and has the typical 45 degree diagonal polarization. To get extinction by tilting to the left, you'd need to go past 90 to 135 degrees. Though, too bad they couldn't get a vertically polarized LCD for that as well.

So would this (the polarization of the screen) explain why those who have tested it out in the sun have experienced little glare? If so, perhaps the cluster LCDs aren't polarized in a similar manner because they're more shielded from the sun?

[doug]

So would this (the [vertical] polarization of the screen) explain why those who have tested it out in the sun have experienced little glare?

On its own, no. But it suggests that the screen manufacturer built it to customer (Tesla's) specifications. So perhaps they're also using some anti-glare scheme.

Standard LCDs tend to be polarized at 45 degrees. I would guess this is because the application might be in either a landscape or portrait orientation. (Or switch between the two like your phone or tablet.) Polarizing at 45 degrees ensures that in case the user is wearing polarized sunglasses, he at least sees something. So I think the instrument cluster LCD is a more off the shelf item, which is perfectly fine.

[vfx]

... So I think the instrument cluster LCD is a more off the shelf item, which is perfectly fine.

Yeah, not too many instances that are comfortable where the driver is tilting their head that much.

While wearing sunglasses.

Zombie decapitation?

[Grendal]

Yeah, not too many instances that are comfortable where the driver is tilting their head that much.

I only tilt my head that much when I'm nodding off.

[doug]

Well at least it lets you tilt your head in the right direction.

[gjamrok]

Thank you! I was just about to post a question about this and searched to find you already did the work.