Idea for mirrors

[Ciro Pabón]

How about using a couple of minicameras and two LCDs affixed to the inner part of the cockpit instead of mirrors, to diminish drag?

[flynfrog]

I think its a rules thing

this is what we use on solar cars takes some getting used to since you have to use a fish eye lens to get a good field of view

[roost89]

sounds like a good idea, but what about camera glare and glare on the screens?

[Carlos]

Maybe use a Heads Up Display, inside the helmet, projected onto the visor.

[HKS]

Physical mirrors are a better option than using cameras. Mirrors can be adjusted quickly and a cheaper option. And that would require a very high megapixel camera/s. And another question which arises is where would the LCD be placed? The LCD's should be heat as well as water resistant.

[clean air]

Couldn't they just use the in car camera on the roll hoop?

[Ciro Pabón]

Yes, flyn, I'm aware of regulations. It's just an idea.

14.3 Rear view mirrors :

14.3.1 All cars must have at least two mirrors mounted so that the driver has visibility to the rear and both sides of the car, blah, blah...

I imagine they could be placed inside the cockpit protection edge, around the head of the driver, like the yellow lines here:



I also imagine that if positioned where I drawed the cyan line. They could improve the visibility, at least for Coulthard... Perhaps there have been too many accidents where you have to ask: are the mirrors really used for something?

On the safety side, it's easy to imagine image enhancement, specially under adverse conditions. When you see them on camera during races, they vibrate a lot, something not incorporated in current regulations. The regulations state that you have to be able to see a letter of such size at such distance, but within an stationary car.

There have been a lot of accidents lately where the driver, apparently has not been able to drive and watch the mirrors at the same time, btw.

Are there any series that uses this idea?

[Iciano]

What they could do is use a fixed hub steeering wheel where the boss of the wheel stays staionary while the rim rotates about it like in the Citroen C4(and new C5 i think?) and mount a small lcd screen on it.
It might be a bit tight for space, what with all the buttons they have already, but im sure they could lose the rather large BMW or Mercedes logo's they have on them
The wheel is practically in the drivers line of sight aswell.

[Neophiliac]

If you use cameras, it seems to me that you really don't need two displays - one is plenty. I'd suggest feeding it directly from the rear view camera that we can pictures from and having a small (4 inch diagonal would do) display somewhere in the center (just above, on, or below the steering wheel, depending on the driver preference). I'd say that would be significantly better than the tiny virbating mirrors, placed further away from the driver.

[zac510]

There has been a bit of camera use for rear vision in the LMES lately but only in closed cars, where glare probably wouldn't be a problem.

[Ciro Pabón]

Cool, zac. Good idea Neophiliac.

You saw the thermal camera they used at Turkey. It would be ideal to enhance the visibility of cars, specially when raining. Well, just another idea whose time, maybe, has come.

There are these new LCD panels called "transflective" panels that can be seen even in direct sunlight. They were launched last December, that's what got me thinking: 1500 candles per square meter, that's a lot.

I've read from people with convertibles (at some forums) that the CTF-700 model is the best of the transflective screens.



The guy that posted this image claims that is much better "in person" and that this picture was gotten without any contrast adjustment. Notice how the upper screen is practically invisible. Both screens are transflective, but the best (according to the owner) is the bottom one.

Finally, I think that sometime in the future, the camera or sensors and the PC onboard will be able to show you the relative position of all cars around you (not just an image, but a representation of where are them in relation to you), taking the place of NASCAR spotters. After all, GPS are really precise these days, so, in theory, you wouldn't even need a camera: if you could get the GPS info of other cars you could have even an audible tone, a beep or something, to warn you that there is a car alongside you (or that another car will be alongside you in a few moments).

Here you have another pic: the screen at the top is a Motorcity transflective, not as good as the CTF model.

[ESPImperium]

Id personally like to see both the mirrors and the LDC/Camera option being used in a trial.

I personally think, like Martin Brundle, that the current mirrors should be enlarged by at minimum 25% from current size, brought inboard, and have some sort of anti vibration device put on them as some sort of rule.

But, i could see the LCD thing being a good idea, altho if the screen was to one side only and as far forward as where the green box is on this immage, it may be a good idea, altho the idea of the screen on a wheel like the Citroen C4/5 would be a good one if the screen was the size of say a digitial cameras LCD display.

[WhiteBlue]

F1 is already operating a unidirectional high speed high precision GPS system. by making it bi directional a warning system in the rain could be provided. but it sure feels a bit strange to have those things in a race car.

[roost89]

GPS tracking and display in the car...would that really help when there is a car over-taking? It would tell where you were on the track but not if they're going up your left/right in an over-taking manouevre.
Would a mini mass-damper work inside the mirrors? and would they also have to be added to the transflective LCD screen(s)? I assume the screen(s) would also be subject to vibration.

[Conceptual]

Maybe use a Heads Up Display, inside the helmet, projected onto the visor.

BINGO! Enter the OLEDS! http://www.universaldisplay.com/default ... tentID=608

I sincerely cannot believe that this isnt already in use...

Chris