Windscreen wipers are alright, but in the future we may be annihilating the rain with a force field of high-intensity sound.

While best known for its F1 team, McLaren’s luxury sports cars have high renown as well.

In a recent interview, McLaren’s chief designer Frank Stephenson said the company was looking at a way to replace the wipers on upcoming models.

He says a new system is in the works which would use ultrasound waves at 30kHz across the windshield to keep rain, leaves and even bugs from be able to make contact in the first place.

Other advantages include boosted visibility due to the lack of obtrusive wipers.

Many ultrasound transducers on the market today operate with a very small form factor and energy requirements, meaning that the system may be cheaper and light to install.

The original windscreen wiper was invented by Mary Anderson in 1903, after she observed drivers sticking their heads out the side of their cars and carriages for a better view in the rain.

In other recent talks, Stephenson says the company is also working on colour-changing exterior panels, glowing interiors and shape-changing memory materials.