A Side View Mirror Without Blind Spots
A car's blind spot is
one of life's accepted inconveniences. Check your mirror, lean forward, look
over your shoulder and change lanes. That is standard operating procedure.
But a math professor
from Drexel University in Philadelphia named Andrew Hicks has designed a curved
mirror that eliminates most of that blind spot, using a mathematic algorithm
that increases your field of view from the current standard of 15 to 17 degrees
to an astonishing 45 degrees without distorting the image.
To achieve the design
without the fun-house or fish-eye effect, Professor Hicks's patented design is
similar to a disco ball with tiny individual mirrors precisely directed using
his algorithm, so that each ray of light bouncing off the mirror shows a wide
yet undistorted view.
But don't expect the
newest car designs to roll off the production line with these mirrors just yet.
At this point, manufacturers are still required to install side view mirrors
that are flat, due to issues with distortion. But Prof. Hick's just received
his patent so it may take some time for the rules to catch up. Until then, you
will most likely first see the mirrors in after market car part stores where
curved mirrors are allowed to be sold. And don't be alarmed - while the
prototype cost an exorbitant $20,000, expanded manufacturing will greatly
reduce the cost for consumers.
Peter’s Comment
Mirrors have been a
problem on cars for as long cars have had mirrors. Mirrors have been the
forgotten area of automobile development and yet mirrors, or the lack of a view
from them, have probably been a factor in as many fatalities as tires, brakes,
steering, speed and alcohol.
I welcome the above
development but there is still so much more that can be done to improve
visibility from the driver’s seat. Mirrors would work better if mounted inside
the vehicle rather than outside where they are subject rain, frost, or simply
being knocked by other vehicles or pedestrians. If the mirror was mounted inside
an external bubble with a rearward view some of the problems would disappear.
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| Highway America |
The front door post
is another source of blind spots and while it may be a relatively small blind
spot most are capable of completely obscuring a cyclist ten meters away. There
must be a see-through material, as strong as steel, that door posts could be
made from and if not there must be a scientist somewhere capable of developing
one.
Ultimately, drivers
will probably have an uninterrupted 360 degree view from the driver’s seat
using a row of monitors in the middle of the instrument panel and wide-angle
cameras at strategic points around the vehicle. No more blind spots.
Meanwhile, we still
have mirrors and they need to be clear, correctly adjusted and never mounted at
eye level because you also need to be able to look beyond your mirrors. When
you look in your side mirrors you should be looking for other vehicles, not the
side of your own vehicle. You should have to move your head to be able to see
your own vehicle, but only your eyes to see traffic that might be getting too
close.
Finally, remember the
old saying, “If you can see my mirror, I can see you?” Well, it’s wrong. It
should be, “If you can see my eyes in
the mirror I may be able to see you.”
Safe driving.
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