Drexel Math Professor Invents A Blind-Spot-Free Mirror For Drivers
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Drexel University math professor has been awarded a patent for a driver's-side mirror that eliminates the dreaded "blind spot."
Dr. R. Andrew Hicks says the patent is the result of about seven years of research on his slightly curved mirror that provides a wider field of view with a bare minimum of distortion.
"So when someone comes up from behind you, you seen them the whole time," he says. "And then, when they leave the actual mirror, they appear in your peripheral vision."
Don't expect to see Hicks' mirrors in mass production, though. Federal regulations say new cars must have flat mirrors on the driver's side.
But he believes there is a way around that roadblock.
"You are allowed to buy an after-market product and stick it on your car. I've seen them -- they exist -- which is like a spherical mirror or a little inset. So, the aftermarket is a possibility," he thinks.
Hicks says he has received a number of inquiries about his product and hopes to bring it to market soon.
