Safety tech from the racing industry is getting more attention on the roads.
Manufacturers are finding it difficult to find a solution for the increasing road safety requirements. Visibility has been reduced by increasing the size of A-pillars. Ferrari seeks to address this problem with a road-version halo windshield design that spreads out the strength required for structural integrity.
It is not new for racing technology to trickle down to road vehicles. Despite this, it has been a while since there was such a big innovation in the racing industry.
The windshield’s halo support allows for the a-pillars in the middle to be smaller, allowing for unparalleled visibility. Ferrari considered this a solution to the problem of limited frontward visibility. It has an exterior camera system that projects its feed in real-time onto the interior of the pillar. The rear-view mirror is being replaced by a similar digital solution. It’s not as revolutionary as it sounds, however, since we have seen digital rear-view lenses on both road and race cars for a while.
Although many GT3 race cars have centrally located vertical windshield washers, it is extremely impractical for road use. The road halo system might be able to remedy this. It would enable windshield wipers to fit vertically in the middle of windshield with a central-pillar. This would provide significant aerodynamic gains.
The patent also mentions materials. This means that almost any material, even canvas, could be used with the solution. Ferrari said that the pillar of the halo would provide new aerodynamic opportunities. This is in slight agreement with Formula 1.
Although we don’t know when or if this system will be available, we are excited to see how it will impact car design and performance.