Technology originated from F-1

[timbo]

F-1 was always considered as a pinnacle of innovation, but what technologies really did come from it to a mass-market?
I can think of active-suspension, semi-automatic gearboxes and possibly ground effect (although it seems that it was rather widely disseminated and one can trace it back to hydroplanes etc).
What else?

[raymondu999]

didn't TCS and ABS also originate from F1? CVTs? Though I'm not sure on CVTs. Surely there has been a lot in terms of engine/transmission/gearbox that has filtered onto the mass market, no?

[shelly]

tcs, abs and cvt originated in the mass market, were adapted to f1 where they gave big increase in performance, and then banned as driver aids before 1994.
tcs reinstated in 2001 becuase it was impossible to police then banned agoin before 2008 iirc.
cvt was only tested by williams once and banned becuase the fia feared a boring domination of one team with an exclusive technology

[timbo]

didn't TCS and ABS also originate from F1? CVTs? Though I'm not sure on CVTs.

As, shelly said it's from mass market. CVTs created by DAF were on some small car around early '80s or so IIRC.

Surely there has been a lot in terms of engine/transmission/gearbox that has filtered onto the mass market, no?

But what? Direct injection -- no. Pneumatic valves -- might be, but it's still not on mass-market cars, and it was pioneered in motosport if I'm not mistaken.
Computer management? Not sure.

[Jersey Tom]

Not sure I'd say semi-automatic gear boxes. Eh, maybe. Sequential shifting was certainly around before adaptation in F1. Perhaps electronic / hydraulic control of it as well.

I do not consider F1 a pinnacle of innovation. Nor do I really think it ever has been. It's a pinnacle of refined application perhaps. As far as developing NEW technologies - I'd say it's the exception rather than the rule in pro motorsports.

Mass market has TONS more R&D money than any race team. Several hundred million dollars total operating budget for a F1 team.. figure a fraction of that is R&D. Chump change. A major automotive OEM can have R&D budgets in the BILLIONS of dollars. Plus I'd say generally there's more time frame for future development in the consumer world.

That's my take anyway, having worked both in mass market and pro motorsport.

[timbo]

Not sure I'd say semi-automatic gear boxes. Eh, maybe. Sequential shifting was certainly around before adaptation in F1. Perhaps electronic / hydraulic control of it as well.

Haven't heard of that, though. Actually semi-autmatic gearboxes took of on mass-market not long ago, it's harder to make an algo for operation that would cover all driving styles.

I do not consider F1 a pinnacle of innovation. Nor do I really think it ever has been. It's a pinnacle of refined application perhaps. As far as developing NEW technologies - I'd say it's the exception rather than the rule in pro motorsports.

Yep, agreed.

[beelsebob]

A large amount of the techniques for working with CFRP I'd expect come directly from F1.

[timbo]

A large amount of the techniques for working with CFRP I'd expect come directly from F1.

Hmm, I remeber Renault guys were reported to help Boeing with Dreamliner.
Still it initially came from aerospace, so it's more of refinement.

[flynfrog]

A large amount of the techniques for working with CFRP I'd expect come directly from F1.

nope they are developed long before in the aviation world

[flynfrog]

A large amount of the techniques for working with CFRP I'd expect come directly from F1.

Hmm, I remeber Renault guys were reported to help Boeing with Dreamliner.
Still it initially came from aerospace, so it's more of refinement.

I would guess this had more to do with fibersim I dont think to many f1 teams are using tape laying machines

[beelsebob]

A large amount of the techniques for working with CFRP I'd expect come directly from F1.

nope they are developed long before in the aviation world

CFRP was used in aviation first – that doesn't mean that all the techniques that F1 has come up with for making weird shapes out of it had been. Remember, initial versions of CFRP were very limited in the shapes you could make.

[Jersey Tom]

Regarding transmissions... sequential manual boxes have been in sport bikes for some time. Before the 90's when they became popular in F1 as opposed to traditional gate shifting? Not sure.

Whether you control it with a big shift lever or paddles is of less consequence than the fundamental design IMO. Could go either way, would have to do some fact digging.

[hardingfv32]

CFRP was used in aviation first – that doesn't mean that all the techniques that F1 has come up with for making weird shapes out of it had been. Remember, initial versions of CFRP were very limited in the shapes you could make.

Aviation had CFRP weird shape requirements long before F1. The systems used for this purpose all were developed for aviation first. Aviation represents a much larger market. There is a good chance many things would be unavailable to F1 without the aviation actually providing the main market.

Brian

[Lurk]

AFAIK, first commercial plane to use CFRP was 767 and its first flight was in 1981. They only used it for simple parts such as elevator.

The very same year, Barnard build a CFRP monocoque...

[Just_a_fan]

F1 hasn't invented anything that has moved in to the mass market. Everything in F1 was borrowed from other sources.