Quantifying vision obstruction of Formula One (F1) halo concept variants

This paper presents an early-design methodology to quantify vision obstruction caused by halo-type cockpit safety equipment introduced into Formula One (F1) racing in 2018. The halo is a curved bar that surrounds the driver's head over the cockpit opening and offers additional protection to drivers. However, the halo's introduction has raised concerns over vision-obstruction-related issues due to its vertical and horizontal bars (pillar-like elements) sitting in front of the cockpit. This study assesses vision obstructions by exploring the driver's forward field of view based on the coverage zone analysis. This research utilizes digital manikins inserted in a digital F1 racecar mockup to assess the effects of halo concept variants on vision obstruction. The preliminary results showed that the vision obstruction was not only affected by the halo geometry and size but also the orientation of the F1 car in different racetrack segments. The methodology discussed in this study is critical for other early-stage product design and development challenges, where designers demand "quick-and-dirty" ergonomics evaluation of vision obstruction before building time-consuming and costly physical mockups.