Windscreen wipers to be replaced by ultrasonic technology?

aussie muscle · 22-01-2014, 04:12 PM

Jet fighter technology that fires ultrasonic soundwaves over windscreens to keep off rain could end the car wiper blade’s 100-year reign.

Supercar maker McLaren is said to have a system that is due to arrive after 2015. It could cost as little as £10.

Prof Paul Wilcox of Bristol University said the vibration would not be visible as it is at “nanometer level”. McLaren called the wiper, created in 1903, “archaic”. Its system may improve fuel efficiency without the weight of wipe motors.

McLaren’s chief designer Frank Stephenson said: “It took a lot of effort to get this out of a source in the military. “I asked why you don’t see wipers on some aircraft when they are coming in at very low speeds for landing.

“I was told that it’s not a coating on the surface but a high frequency electronic system that never fails and is constantly active.

“Nothing will attach to the windscreen.”

Removing wipers could improve cars’ fuel economy without the weight of wiper motors.

source; http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technol...4#.Ut9SQrQ7YdU

Road_Warrior · 22-01-2014, 04:15 PM

A fighter jet also has a much more curved windscreen than a car so it's normal movement will push water off its screen. Much like a motorbike helmet visor. All I have to do is **** my head and the water will be pushed off the visor by aerodynamic forces.

MAD · 22-01-2014, 04:36 PM

Slow landing = 250+ kph

Wretched · 22-01-2014, 04:48 PM

If they can get it work properly on a road car in all conditions then brilliant.
When they say nothing attached to the windscreen i assume it will be built into the screen?
I look forward to seeing this.

Franco Cozzo · 22-01-2014, 05:07 PM

Replacement windscreen - $25,000

malazn mafia · 22-01-2014, 06:06 PM

Once had a hand car wash done, and went for a long road trip. At high speeds, didn't even need to use the windscreen wipers, and visibility was excellent. The water would basically dissipate into miniscule dots and turn into small streaks. I still wonder to this day what they used on my windscreen...

MAGPIE · 22-01-2014, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Once had a hand car wash done, and went for a long road trip. At high speeds, didn't even need to use the windscreen wipers, and visibility was excellent. The water would basically dissipate into miniscule dots and turn into small streaks. I still wonder to this day what they used on my windscreen...

RainX

2011G6E · 22-01-2014, 06:25 PM

I always use a good wax on my motorcycle helmet visor and polish it lightly. Maybe a couple of coats. The water just beads off and runs away really easily.

It's still amazing that despite a century of innovations and amazing advances in motor cars, that from the earliest things with windscreens we still persist with dragging a piece of rubber across the screen to squeegee off the water...

XRtowcar · 22-01-2014, 06:28 PM

Wonder if it will wash off bugs and bird crap?

2011G6E · 22-01-2014, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRtowcar

Wonder if it will wash off bugs and bird crap?

Yes. I hit...something...coming back from Blackwater this morning in the Celica. It was a bug, but what a bug! It hit just above the passenger side wiper blade, and splattered in a huge smear right up to the top of the damn windscreen in a spray maybe 40mm wide. I was at once both impressed and disgusted.
The damn thing was like glue when I got home and needed a hot soapy water sponge to get it off.

Not sure how an ultrasonic thing would cope with that...

4vdean · 22-01-2014, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAGPIE

RainX

RainX is the bomb, once i discovered it (approx. 20 years ago) its applied to my windscreen every wet season and now almost never use wipers they just get in the way and distract, except if under 60kmh or very light mist/road spray otherwise the heavier the rain the better. even bugs/grime just washes off with the rain, outstanding product.

also good on side/rear windows and mirrors so you can see traffic at intersection etc.

that nano stuff will get in our bodies at a nano level, the next asbestos (for the conspiracy theorists out there)

OCTANEBOSS · 22-01-2014, 07:22 PM

Rainx great stuff & goes along way

LMW · 22-01-2014, 07:41 PM

i dislike rainX...always seems to make my wipers skip across the windscreen. never gonna touch the stuff again!

GTMOND · 22-01-2014, 08:22 PM

Where is it all going to end lol, there will be no enjoyment in owning a car soon. Sealed motors and trannys with no dipsticks just a sensor saying take it to dealer. All good for people who don't enjoy cars ect but when they start braking and parking for you, not my cup of tea. I know some is for safety but I wonder if the electronics will become to difficult to fix for dealers similar to the new commodores A/C probs, they are still having trouble fixing the bugs with it.

Wretched · 22-01-2014, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTMOND

Where is it all going to end lol, there will be no enjoyment in owning a car soon. Sealed motors and trannys with no dipsticks just a sensor saying take it to dealer. All good for people who don't enjoy cars ect but when they start braking and parking for you, not my cup of tea. I know some is for safety but I wonder if the electronics will become to difficult to fix for dealers similar to the new commodores A/C probs, they are still having trouble fixing the bugs with it.

When will what end? Progress? Hopefully never, we humans have advanced over time through innovations, finding the solution to a problem.
I don't agree with what you say, I get more enjoyment out of my car knowing that I don't have to do anything else but put petrol in it and actually DRIVE it.
I enjoy cars and I enjoy the technology that is coming into these.

Are you saying that a McLaren P1, a Porsche (918, 911, Cayman, Boxster), Ferraris, etc are all for people who don't enjoy cars?

Cars can now park themselves and essentially drive themselves but these can be turned off at will. I would say the cars now days are just as much if not more fun to drive than ever.

All cars have bugs, how many cars used to be on the side of the road back say 25 - 30 years back? not much technology packed into those cars either.
Don't forget the first Falcon here, the XK was pretty much a lemon.

GTMOND · 23-01-2014, 07:14 AM

Yes I could have worded that better. Today's cars are great to drive, but I'm more referring to being able to work on your car when something does go wrong, and when something does go wrong the dealers themselves are sometimes at a loss as to what's wrong. But enough from me, everyone has different opinions.