When Mercedes-Benz launched its 56-inch ‘Hyperscreen’ infotainment display, it was a bit of a shock. After all, who needs that much screen real estate? But Mercedes is not done yet. A new patent filed by the German automaker at the United States Patent and Trademark Office depicts a system wherein a screen can be mounted to and operated from the wheel. There are several potential use cases for this technology, so let’s see how it would be implemented.
How the Wheel Display Technology Works
Screen Integration with the Wheel
Using an LED, LCD, OLED, or other screen type, Mercedes envisions that the wheel itself would be hidden behind a screen panel, or parts thereof. This would be used to show “dynamic and customizable wheel displays,” which would become touch responsive when the car is at rest and depict images or video when the car is in motion.
Real-Time Adjustments with Sensors
More than just a screen, the wheel display device would also have various gyroscopes and other sensors, allowing it to detect the motion, revolutions per minute, and angular velocity of the wheel, as well as the speed and acceleration of the vehicle. These would allow the display to adjust itself and its refresh rate so as to provide a clear image or video graphic, whatever speed that specific wheel is doing.
Durability and Protection
A shatterproof case or a protective layer would be added to protect the display from road debris and other damage. The images or videos would be uploaded by the user, or they could be machine-generated by the user (with a filter to weed out any unlicensed or inappropriate content). With trained generative models, there would be no need for a large onboard image database, saving memory.
Aesthetic and Functional Possibilities
Customizable Designs for All Models
A small screen could be used as a wheel hub center cap, allowing for customizable designs. Therefore, a single component could be used for a Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, or Mercedes-Maybach model, saving money.
Branding and Advertising Opportunities
With larger screens, a film company or fashion house might use the vehicle to promote a new release or suit the theme of a shoot. The patent also suggests flags, which could be used for government vehicles.
Personalization and Creative Ideas
Bored of the look of your car? You could use the in-car screen or even the ‘Hey, Mercedes’ AI voice assistant to create a set of wheels based on a certain style. For example, “Create wheels that are styled circa 1930” or “Make my wheels look like those on the AMG ONE.” More ridiculous ideas, like a hamster wheel with an animated character running inside it, could also be achieved.
Practical Uses for Drivers and Safety Features
Enhanced Driver Assistance
Cameras in the device could also be used to send imagery to the cabin, which would have benefits when parking or off-roading. These could act as puddle lights at night. Various other ideas come to mind.
Warning and Safety Indicators
When a tire is flat, that wheel could be red or yellow until it is correctly inflated, at which point it might turn green. The patent also notes that the device may house sensors to check alignment and balancing, or to provide GPS data for each wheel, making location data more accurate.
Additional Driving Indicators
We imagine that the wheels could also flash amber, like additional hazard lights. They could indicate when the car is being driven autonomously, or like Alpine’s upcoming A390, the wheels could glow a certain color when torque vectoring is being used. They could also flash red under hard braking.
Charging Technology for the Wheel Displays
Recharging could be achieved wirelessly, through energy recuperation under braking, or when the devices are detached and plugged in.
The Future of Interactive Wheel Displays
In short, these display devices would be more than just screens; they’d be localized computers, and what they display and the information they gather could have numerous potential use cases. It’s a bit gimmicky at face value, but ideas like these allow automakers to provide advanced technology and novelty to a digital society while saving on manufacturing and development for individual models. We fully expect ideas like this one to be realized someday.
