Hidra Concept Set to Make Windshield Wipers Obsolete…Eventually

Automotive design house Fioravanti brought its blatantly futuristic concept called Hidra to the Geneva Motor Show this year, which featured an innovation that could render the common windshield wiper obsolete. That is, if huge sums of money, product lifespan, and production capacity are no object.

The Hidra utilizes a window clearing system called Geyser, which is said to be capable of doing a far better job keeping a windshield clean than traditional wipers. The complex system is based on a layered windshield, which uses titanium dioxide to filter UV rays and spread water evenly over the surface. Another layer somehow pushes road dirt to the edges of the window, at which point small nozzles blow the filth away from the car. A final layer is responsible for conducting the electricity to power the entire operation.

(Click through the jump to read on including the Fioravanti Hidra press release.)

Sounds pretty fancy right? Well believe it or not, there are still a few kinks to be worked out of the massively complex system. Design and engineering director Matteo Fioravanti said that there are slight durability problems with the design, which is said to be at least four years away from possible production.

“Though you wouldn’t have to replace the glass every day,” said Fioravanti, “you might have to replace it every few weeks.”

We’ll stick with our wipers for now, thanks.

+ Times Online: Windscreen wipers wiped out?

Hidra

Fioravanti, this year in its 20th anniversary of activity, continues the research on the new architectures of the next future vehicles that will must face the new alternative sources of energy and their stockpiling.

Hidra is the evolution of last year Thalia and marries the Fioravanti’s propensity for innovation, functionality and elegance. Hidra is a proposal of a sporty multifunctional vehicle ( M.P.C. as multi purpose coupe), with 5 doors and 4 seats. The concept is based on a general layout that lets reach notable results in terms of vehicle dynamics, passive safety and flexibility. It’s foreseen a central-longitudinal area creating room for hydrogen tanks, for a “fuel cell” car or for possible batteries in the case of electric or hybrid engine.

These large masses would be placed in a well protected area, safe from crashes and low for an ideal centre of gravity to improve the car handling. Thanks to this layout, Fioravanti proposes, for every single wheel, its own patent concerning the possibility to use an only-one identical type of suspension.

A sleek and dynamic design characterizes the unique bodywork with modelled and plastic surfaces, in the vehicle’s front end we find the lights, which are luminous volumes that vary their intensity depending on functions, creating a single drawing. The rear area shows an extensive transparent surface that includes an innovative system for the retro-illumination of the number plate thanks to the “oled” technology, in the original rear bumper we find: rear lights, turn indicator, fog light, reversing light.

The big H on the roof is an aesthetic innovation but specially a functional innovation, it born at the origin of the A pillars and finish at the C pillars. Its horizontal part is, aerodynamically speaking, in a depression zone and its shape helps to keep the flows attached to the body.

The frame of the big H, where acts as perimeter of the windshield, shows a series of jet that
alternatively and/or simultaneously spray water and air. This idea is the last revolutionary patent of Fioravanti and it’s called Geyser. It’s a new system for the cleaning of the transparent surfaces in every possible condition without using more the windshield wipers. The patent is based on the combined use of: nano-technology, aerodynamic, water recovery from the “fuel cells”.

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