Digital displays on bikes and suits? We may see them soon

In the top motorsport world championships a large chunk of the proceeds for the teams it comes from the sponsors, who want the greatest possible visibility. Until now we are used to seeing on cars or motorcycles a brand predominantewhich is given more prominence than the others being the biggest supporter of the respective team. It will therefore have its logo on the most visible surfaces of the car, overalls and driver’s helmet.

However, this concept could soon change, as the British company Seamless Digital, part of the Silverstone Design Limited company, has developed the screens that can be mounted on cars and motorcycles. The first test of these products took place in collaboration with McLaren, in which the screens have been mounted during the free practice session on Friday of United States Grand Prix of last October. It is a flexible display, therefore able to adapt even to irregular surfaces, self-powered by a small battery which allows you to change the advertisements during a race. McLaren began testing them in late 2021, initially hiding them to avoid attention, before showing them in October 2022. McLaren’s system, with a screen similar to the e-ink ones used on e-book readers, is present on both sides of the cockpit and is visible to the cameras. Furthermore weighs only 190 grams and thanks to its low power consumption, a very small battery is enough to power it.

As far as the motorcycle sector is concerned, this technology becomes even more interesting, as the spaces available for sponsors are further reduced and the possibility of interspersing them thanks to these screens is certainly a great opportunity for the teams. However, it must be taken into account that the function of these panels is not limited to mere publicity, but they can be used for increase security during the races, with the insertion of notices such as flags to signal an imminent danger on the track, the interruption of the race or, for example, indicate the position of the pilots, in order to have an instant classification.