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Dr. R. Andrew Hicks, a math professor at Drexel University's College of Arts and Sciences, received a US patent for a new side mirror that eliminates blind spots. The slightly curved glass has a field of view of about 45 degrees, compared to 15-17 degrees of view in a flat mirror.
Traditional mirrors give the driver an accurate sense of the distance of cars behind them but have a very narrow field of view. The curved design created by Hicks, however, provides a ''wide, but not-too-distorted, picture of the scene behind him.''
Problem is, US regulations dictate that production cars must have a flat mirror on the driver's side. Curved mirrors are allowed on the passenger's side only if they include the mention "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear."
A number of countries in Europe and Asia do allow slightly curved mirrors on new cars, and it appears that Hicks has already generated interest among foreign investors and manufacturers.
Source: Phys.org
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| Photo: R. Andrew Hicks, Drexel |
Traditional mirrors give the driver an accurate sense of the distance of cars behind them but have a very narrow field of view. The curved design created by Hicks, however, provides a ''wide, but not-too-distorted, picture of the scene behind him.''
Problem is, US regulations dictate that production cars must have a flat mirror on the driver's side. Curved mirrors are allowed on the passenger's side only if they include the mention "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear."
A number of countries in Europe and Asia do allow slightly curved mirrors on new cars, and it appears that Hicks has already generated interest among foreign investors and manufacturers.
Source: Phys.org