McLaren will replace the wiper blades with a sound wave power field

McLaren is known for Formula 1 cars, but also produces other sports cars. Here they also try to apply unusual scientific and technological innovations. For example, Frank Stephenson, the company's chief designer, said in an interview with the Sunday Times that future McLaren models will replace conventional windshield wipers with a sound-field force field.

It is no secret that standing sound waves are capable of moving objects in space. For example, a couple of months ago, scientists from the Swiss Higher Technical School of Zurich demonstrated controlled acoustic levitation of liquid droplets, grains of solid materials and wooden toothpicks.



In McLaren cars, ultrasound at a frequency of 30 kHz will be used to clean foreign objects from the windshield. The sound wave generator is likely to be located also on the windshield. He will be able to drop raindrops, snow and even insects from the glass.

Sound at such a frequency is inaudible to the human ear. People do not perceive sound above 20 kHz, but some animals can hear it. For example, in dogs and cats, the sensitivity range is 60 kHz and 79 kHz, respectively. You can check your limit of sound perception, for example, on the Noise Addicts website .

Frank Stephenson chose not to go into details and only said that the technology was developed in the army. All in all a very good idea. Let's hope that our children in robotic cars no longer have to bother with creaky, dirty and freezing rubber on the wiper blades.