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From Dunlop and WEC
Constantly at the forefront of innovation, Dunlop has commissioned a futurology report to look into the future of race cars, specifically what they will look like up to 125 years from now. The assertions made in the report are revelatory and hint at a far greener, more interactive racing future.
Written by renowned futurologist, Dr. Ian Pearson, the report states that racing cars of years hence could have extremely powerful electric engines and linear induction plasma thrusters, as opposed to internal combustion engines.
These thrusters would work by bombarding a gas with electrons, which would in turn create the plasma. Superconducting coils could then create large electromagnetic fields to propel it.
Pearson said: “Newton's laws of motion dictate that as the thruster fires a high-speed pulse out the rear end, the car gains equal forward momentum. It isn't trivial engineering, and you would have to be careful about the power and direction of the jets, but this isn't just sci-fi. The military have already prototyped plasma rail guns that work well, and 125 years of development should easily bring this into the race-car technology arena.”
Ultra-strong chassis materials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, could create great strength and rigidity at low weight; keeping future racing cars on track and helping to improve handling. Some could even change shape mid-race, allowing aerodynamics to vary on command.
Engineers might use polymer gels that can contract like muscles and shape-memory alloys that ‘remember' their original, cold-forged shape: returning to it when heated.
Future developments in either field could allow components to contract and expand, and engineers will be able to use these materials to design large changes of shape into body parts.
“This would allow aerofoils to adjust their profile, or car body skirts to widen for cornering or to vary ground effect and lift on straight sections,” added Dr Pearson.
Electronically controlled materials might also be built into racing tires, according to the report, enabling variable grip and wear trade-offs.
Polymer gels could easily make a short, fat component become a long, thin one. If millions of microscopic spikes were laid down using 3D printing during manufacture, then as the tire wears, new layers could be brought to the surface. These could then be extended or retracted on demand: standing up to increase grip and folding flat to reduce drag.
Augmented reality (AR) will become a strong part of everyday life in the future, according to the report. Video visors (such as Google Glass) already exist, overlaying computer-generated imagery onto the field of view.
For motorsport spectators in the future this means one person might see one sponsor's name on a car, while the person next to them sees a different one, depending on their personal preferences.
AR would not only make racing cars look different to each individual viewer, but could also allow the spectators themselves to participate in races. If the technology were to converge with online computer gaming, it could allow people to drive virtually alongside real-life racers and other viewers, making the whole experience more immersive and exciting.
Constantly at the forefront of innovation, Dunlop has commissioned a futurology report to look into the future of race cars, specifically what they will look like up to 125 years from now. The assertions made in the report are revelatory and hint at a far greener, more interactive racing future.
Written by renowned futurologist, Dr. Ian Pearson, the report states that racing cars of years hence could have extremely powerful electric engines and linear induction plasma thrusters, as opposed to internal combustion engines.
These thrusters would work by bombarding a gas with electrons, which would in turn create the plasma. Superconducting coils could then create large electromagnetic fields to propel it.
 |
| Sygma, the 1969 F1 car of the future (Photo: WRI2) |
Pearson said: “Newton's laws of motion dictate that as the thruster fires a high-speed pulse out the rear end, the car gains equal forward momentum. It isn't trivial engineering, and you would have to be careful about the power and direction of the jets, but this isn't just sci-fi. The military have already prototyped plasma rail guns that work well, and 125 years of development should easily bring this into the race-car technology arena.”
Ultra-strong chassis materials, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, could create great strength and rigidity at low weight; keeping future racing cars on track and helping to improve handling. Some could even change shape mid-race, allowing aerodynamics to vary on command.
Engineers might use polymer gels that can contract like muscles and shape-memory alloys that ‘remember' their original, cold-forged shape: returning to it when heated.
Future developments in either field could allow components to contract and expand, and engineers will be able to use these materials to design large changes of shape into body parts.
“This would allow aerofoils to adjust their profile, or car body skirts to widen for cornering or to vary ground effect and lift on straight sections,” added Dr Pearson.
 |
| Dunlop's view of the future of motorsport. (Illustration: Dunlop) |
Electronically controlled materials might also be built into racing tires, according to the report, enabling variable grip and wear trade-offs.
Polymer gels could easily make a short, fat component become a long, thin one. If millions of microscopic spikes were laid down using 3D printing during manufacture, then as the tire wears, new layers could be brought to the surface. These could then be extended or retracted on demand: standing up to increase grip and folding flat to reduce drag.
Augmented reality (AR) will become a strong part of everyday life in the future, according to the report. Video visors (such as Google Glass) already exist, overlaying computer-generated imagery onto the field of view.
For motorsport spectators in the future this means one person might see one sponsor's name on a car, while the person next to them sees a different one, depending on their personal preferences.
AR would not only make racing cars look different to each individual viewer, but could also allow the spectators themselves to participate in races. If the technology were to converge with online computer gaming, it could allow people to drive virtually alongside real-life racers and other viewers, making the whole experience more immersive and exciting.