Ferrari Enhances Driving With Innovative Tech

Become a Better Driver: Learn Brake, Accelerate, Steer

CarBuzz has stumbled across an inspiring patent from Ferrari recently revealed by the US Patent and Trademark Office that unveils the luxury automaker’s ingenious plan to switch human driving instructors with their supercars.

Ferrari elucidates that performance autos are scarcely driven to their top capabilities. Furthermore, when a proprietor gets the chance to get on the track, they are habituated to being on the public roads, where absolutely disparate regulations of deceleration and acceleration, besides other facets, are observed.

Presently, driving aids such as indication lights, overprotective computerized safety mechanisms, head-up screens, and drivers’ ed teachers exist. In spite of this, Ferrari believes that somehow these kinds of things could be detracting, and accordingly, an answer is necessary. What makes Ferrari’s proposition so special is that it can be useful to drivers of all levels. Yes, even those who feel a strong urge to talk about how vintage cars without modern technology were better in every possible way. Everybody should remain impartial and look into this.

Ferrari has already identified that viewing things such as shift lights on a driving wheel or in a display situated slightly above the dashboard takes one’s attention away from the racing line. This is something that is hard to unlearn due to the reflex of looking at the speedometer or straight ahead during driving. Therefore, drivers should concentrate on feeling the road instead of only looking.

Gleaning insight further downstream readies an operator to meet the duties ahead better, but as of present day, the sole method in achieving this is a bodily coach , adding mass and impairing control in connection with when the newbie plods along by their lonesome.

A driving teacher may be distracting, and this is why more practice behind the wheel often yields the best results. It is generally accepted that individuals learn quicker and better when they are taught in their own time.

The answer lies in incorporating visible and tangible guidance to let drivers understand their intended movements, strategically and in a cost-effective way that guarantees their attention is focused on the next hundred yards ahead.

Ferrari is exploring the possibility of integrating LED lights around the windscreen, at either the bottom, the top, or side pillars. To realize this vision, additional equipment may be necessary, including a tracking system such as radio, GPS, LiDAR or optics-based camera. Additionally, other components like a gyroscope or electronic three-axis compass will be required to detect the vehicle’s spatial orientation. In order to provide optimal steering, braking and acceleration actions, advanced driver assistance systems or an external database (including urban streets and racetracks) can be used.

By gathering these pieces of data, a driver can be made aware that the car is about to exceed its limits or not fulfill expectations, whether accelerating is necessary, and the adjustments in driving which are needed for greater speed during their following lap.

Ferrari goes into a lot of detail, but the simplest way to understand it is to think of racing games such as Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo. In these games, you can activate various aids that tell you the ideal racing line, when to step on the gas, when to brake, and when you’re in what Ferrari refers to as “a partialization zone,” where you need to use only a fraction of the throttle or brakes. Those LED lights we talked about earlier? They can be set up to light up in sections and different colors.

At the most suitable spot to attain optimal lap time, red would be the signalizing light. As pressing of brake intensity must decrease, they could brighten to yellow, and when accelerating action should occur, they would transit to green. When hitting the apex, these illuminates might flicker in a hue like blue. Plus, for people who cannot observe certain colors, a variation of systems could provide personalized display.

Ferrari has proposed that sections of the lights could present different indications, such as 100 yards in order to brake or a three second interval to accelerate aggressively. With this, a driver is given advance notice so they are ready to respond appropriately when the time comes. As an example, initially, the furthest block may light up yellow and when the racer closes in on the spot where only partial throttle will do, the same block would move to the central section until it finally reaches the upper segment once they have whizzed by the specified mark.

Ferrari proposes that the system might be configured to offer a continuous illumination, where green illumination will remain when full throttle is necessary, shifting to yellow as soon as less power has to be used, and only blinking red while maximum breaking is needed.

A patent references a distinct hue that flashes when one successfully maneuvers the apex, likely implying that an alternate color can be set up to indicate improper apex execution.

The head-up display, originally seen as a distraction, might be useful to display an image of the automobile in comparison to the highway, illustrating which side of the road to steer on in order to be optimally set for the upcoming turn.

The patent makes reference to haptic feedback, whereby the seat and/or steering wheel on either side can vibrationally demonstrate when one is under- or oversteering. To provide extra assistance, the vibrations could be tailored to indicate whether you should turn right and avoid making a sharp move to the right, or leftward and stay away from extreme left turns. Combined, this would give you the capacity to refine your racing line on curvier tracks.

The hues may alter suddenly or bit by bit, and we believe the sense of touch components can be arranged likewise.

This haptic feedback would only be activated for red and yellow sections of the circuit, or when the car was at risk of going into a spin, limiting the possible distractions. There are many methods of configuring the vibrations and illumination, enabling both newbies and seasoned experts to learn a particular track or Ferrari quickly.

Finally, the patent proposes an adjustable accelerator, similar to a resistive trigger on a gaming console, which would serve as a warning that your foot is being too aggressive and may lead to oversteer.

Ferrari has already begun to showcase their potential in utilizing tactile responses to enhance the driver’s connection with the car. By introducing systems of this kind, purchasers can now have a go with classic automobiles such as the Daytona SP3, without having to engage the assistance of an instructor for each and every journey. With these advancements, in conjunction with Ferrari’s advanced racing style jacks, their road cars are more apt than ever to carry out the performance visions they were devised to fulfil.

Costing less than augmented reality windshields and likely more productive compared to holographic head-up displays, it looks like this innovation is primed to coach aficionados of every skill level.