You must have had this encounter: when you were about to turn left at the intersection, you were frightened by pedestrians passing through the zebra crossing, because of the angle of the driving field of view, it was blocked by the A-pillar at a short critical moment. Almost every driver agrees that the A-pillar used to install the front windshield of the car is often one of the main sources of influence on the driving line of sight, especially on new models, which is even more of a problem, because physically, the vehicle A-pillar must have a certain thickness to meet the high standards of safety in modern vehicles. Although this problem will become less and less important as autonomous driving technology continues to evolve, at this stage, solving this annoying blind spot problem is still of great help to driving safety.
GM believes that the revolutionary transparent A-pillar will be the ideal solution to this problem, as described in a new patent application submitted, GM plans to develop a new fiber-reinforced composite A-pillar with one or more transparent resin or composite openings that allow the driver to see through the past.
To maximize visibility, GM's patent recommends openings on pillar A up to 3.15 inches wide (8 cm) and 15.7 inches high (40 cm). Wires with a density of at least 0.5 W/ft2 are also buried for defogging and de-icing, while the opacity of the control columns can be adjusted by current, for example to prevent glare at sunrise and sunset.
As for the structural strength part, the A-pillar can be interwoven with carbon fiber or similar high-strength materials, and many layers of strut material can be stacked to increase the strength of the A-pillar, which provides the protection needed for head safety in the event of a rollover. If all goes well, this product may be seriously considered for use in future GM products, so don't be surprised if you see this black technology on new cars such as the Lyriq in the future!