"but why do you think planes and other complex machinery have stuck with physical controls?"
Mainly because of technology. But more modern systems are doing away with this.
" For operating complex vehicles/apparatus, you just cannot do better than tangible controls."
You're not controlling the vehicle.
" Knobs, switches, sliders can be operated without looking at them while giving rich tactile feedback, they have no modes = 0 risk for confusion, you know where they're going to be located on your dashboard regardless of what you're doing, etc."
Physical controls in airplanes have caused confusion. Wrong switches have been activated by mistake several times (either because someone bumped into them, or switched the one next to the one intended)
Mainly because of technology. But more modern systems are doing away with this.
" For operating complex vehicles/apparatus, you just cannot do better than tangible controls."
You're not controlling the vehicle.
" Knobs, switches, sliders can be operated without looking at them while giving rich tactile feedback, they have no modes = 0 risk for confusion, you know where they're going to be located on your dashboard regardless of what you're doing, etc."
Physical controls in airplanes have caused confusion. Wrong switches have been activated by mistake several times (either because someone bumped into them, or switched the one next to the one intended)