Ferrari Builds Forza-Style Driver Aids For Supercars To Improve Lap Times

Ferrari proposes integrating LED lights along the bottom, and/or top, and/or sides (A pillars) of the windscreen. Other components required include some form of tracking device, be that a short-range system like radio, a long-range system like GPS, a laser-tracking system like LiDAR, or an optical device like a camera. The patent also needs a device that can detect the spatial orientation of the vehicle, i.e., a gyroscope or an electronic three-axis compass. Using advanced driver assistance systems or a database (of popular racetracks, for example), the car would identify an optimal trajectory for the vehicle, determining the ideal steering, braking, and throttle inputs.

These datapoints would make a driver aware that the car is approaching oversteer or understeer, whether they need to apply full throttle, and what corrections need to be made in terms of driving in each respect to go faster on the next lap.

Ferrari goes into a lot of detail, but the easiest way to explain it is to think of racing games like Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo. Therein, one can access aids that indicate the perfect racing line, when to apply full throttle, when to brake, and when you're in what Ferrari calls "a partialization zone," where part throttle or part braking is required. Those LED lights we mentioned above? Those could be arranged to shine in segments and in different colors.

For example, at the point where maximum braking force is most efficient for a good lap time, the lights would flash red. As you need to ease off the brakes, they could start to glow yellow, and as you should apply throttle, they could transition to green, blinking in another color like blue as you hit the apex. These colors could be varied so that those with color blindness could set the system up to their needs too.

Ferrari adds that the lights could be segmented to indicate distance (brake for the next 100 yards) or time (accelerate hard for the next three seconds). With this, a driver could be prepared for what their next action will be. For example, the furthest section could change to yellow, and when you almost reach the point on the track where partial throttle is required, that yellow block would have moved to the middle section, finally reaching the top as you cross the imaginary line on the track.

Ferrari also suggests that the system could be set up to glow uniformly, where green lights would glow for as long as full throttle is required, changing to yellow the moment you need to reduce power and only flashing red for as long as full braking is required.

The patent also mentions a certain color flashing as you hit the apex to show you that you've done it right. Presumably, the reverse could be set up, too, showing a unique color when you've missed the apex.

The head-up display, although initially mentioned as a distraction, could be used to display an image of the car in relation to the road, showing you on which side of the asphalt to place the vehicle so as to be ideally prepared for the next curve.

The patent goes on to mention haptic feedback, with one or both sides of the seat and/or steering wheel vibrating to indicate that you're understeering and need to turn in left or oversteering and need to correct right. The vibrations could be set up to show that you need to turn in right or that you need to avoid straying too much to the right, or vice versa, too, helping you perfect your racing line even on gradual bends.

The color changes could be sudden or gradual, and we suspect the haptic elements could be configured similarly.

This haptic feedback could only activate in red and yellow sections of the track or when the car has the potential to spin, thereby reducing its likelihood of distraction. The vibrations and light aids could be set up in myriad ways, and the novice and the expert could quickly learn a new track and Ferrari model. Audio prompts are also noted in the document, which could help with preparing to brake, accelerate, or steer with enhanced precision.

Finally, the patent suggests a resistive accelerator pedal, much like a resistive gaming console trigger, which would also help indicate that your foot is too heavy and you're going to initiate oversteer.

Ferrari has already shown promise in using haptic feedback to increase driver engagement. Systems like these could encourage buyers to explore the limits of rare supercars like the Daytona SP3 without repeatedly employing a driving instructor. With this and Ferrari's new racing-style jacks, Ferrari road cars seem destined to live out the performance dreams they were built to realize.

Cheaper than AR windscreens and likely more effective than holographic head-up displays, this tech seems ready to educate enthusiasts of all levels.