2023 was the year of electrification in automobiles, but the innovation and research departments of the world’s leading manufacturers continued to accelerate the development of new solutions in various areas of mobility and driving, some truly… absurd! But with enough potential for brands to want to ensure that no one steals their idea, through patent registration. The list of examples of patented systems, equipment, and technologies that never made it to automobile production is endless. But this year of 2023 still grew.
Ferrari replaced the steering wheel with joysticks
One of the patented technologies in 2023 that surprised the most, especially coming from who it comes from, suggests that the Ferrari of the future will dispense with the steering wheel and will be driven solely through sidesticks, or two joysticks, one on each side of the driver. The Italian brand, which is one of the most concerned with exclusivity and tradition, has dedicated itself to reinventing one of the most fundamental elements of the automobile, and the new registration is already an evolution of a first patent, in 2019, submitted to the USPTO, the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Ford wants to drive outside the car
Driven by the versatility solutions of the new Bronco, Ford went perhaps a little too far by submitting a patent application that allows driving outside the car… standing up!
Taking advantage of the fact that the model’s doors can be removed, as well as the roof panels, the blue oval brand decided to study a way to raise the driving position for off-road evasion moments, namely those in which it is necessary to assess the transposition of obstacles, and when sticking your head out of the window is not enough. Ford’s inventors solved the issue by installing alternative controls on top of the front window frame, which allow the vehicle to be driven standing up at a speed of about 5 km/h.
Hood that sticks pedestrians and other bizarre inventions
The list of the strangest patents does not only include major car brands, Google is also there, with its hood coated with adhesive material, which holds a pedestrian in case of a collision. The idea was to reduce injuries…
Tesla, a brand ahead of its time, also reinvented the windshield wipers, without brushes and with a laser that eliminates dirt.
Still at Ford, two solutions to make everyday life more practical: a treadmill in the trunk, so you don’t have to stretch to reach that can of juice that rolled out of the shopping bag; and the electric motorcycle incorporated into the car. Stored where? Under the front hood, which is particularly relevant at this stage when in many cars it is no longer used to store the engine.
Another invention, and this one we hope will work, has already been tested by Audi, for example in the A8, but has been reinterpreted by General Motors. It consists of extending the common seat massage systems… to the feet. The American manufacturer has developed (and patented!) a device on the floor of the car itself, in all passenger seats, which performs various types of massages while traveling.
