We bet you won't guess what it is.
Just look at the Ferrari Daytona SP3. It's an absolutely gorgeous work of modern art, and it has an award to prove it. It's sleek, hugging the road in a way that instantly connotes speed the moment you see it, whether it's flying down the main straight of a racetrack or sitting still for a photo shoot. But could it look even more athletic? Could it be even more aerodynamic? The answer to both questions is affirmative if a new patent filed by Ferrari is any indication. CarBuzz discovered the patent this morning, and it pertains to an innovation that many barely take notice of until they need it.
We're talking about the windshield wipers. While these generally do their job fairly well, they're both unsightly and less effective than we'd like at times. Back in 2013, McLaren was reported to be developing a windscreen-cleaning system that would use tiny vibrations to displace rain, insects, and mud. Tesla has also suggested using lasers instead of traditional wipers, but Ferrari's design is a little more production-car-friendly.
In the patent filings, a windshield wiper has at least one nozzle placed at the edge of the windshield. This is “capable of emitting a compressed air jet” that would push water away from the windshield, thereby improving visibility. With a more efficient wiper design, the wiper arm itself could be made smaller and less intrusive, thus making the car sleeker and better at slipping through the air.
Interestingly, our further research led us to a US patent filed in 1953 and published three years later. This has a very similar design, where compressed air fires out of nozzles on either side of each wiper. The difference is that this early design suggested blowing air outwards, in the direction that the car is traveling. This seems like it could be fairly effective too, but the benefit of Ferrari's design is that it would help “speed up” the air moving over the car. In addition, Maranello's filing indicates provision for heating and cooling the air, something that would be a great help on those winter mornings.
Of course, there are inherent problems, the most obvious of which is the need for a compressor and an air tank. Nevertheless, we think the windshield wiper is long overdue for a redesign, and this could be just what the doctor ordered.
Keyword: Ferrari Reinvents The Windshield Wiper