Cars Could Soon Feature Golf Ball-esque Dimples To Improve Efficiency

As many of you may know, golf balls are not smooth, they’re full of tiny dimples that change the aerodynamics of the ball. The lumps and bumps on a golf ball help hold the airflow closer for longer, reducing the turbulence behind the ball and allowing it to fly further.

Aerodynamic engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MiT) have developed a surface that can switch from being super smooth to being dimpled at the touch of a button, and they’ve hoping it could pave the way for better aerodynamics on vehicles. The dimpled surface trick really only works at higher speeds, for slower speeds you get better aerodynamics from a flatter surface, which is why they created this new morphing surface. The aim of which is to allow for better fuel efficiency, reduce drag and even improve top speeds of performance cars.

The fact that this surface can be turned flat or dimpled at the touch of a button is also great news for car manufacturers, because we doubt people will want a bumpy looking finish to their car, but since you only need it while going at speed, it’s likely no one would notice the subtle changed in the texture of the car.

Thank you T3 for providing us with this information.