Material Selection:

In terms of what we can actually make our windshield out of, the ASC 2018 regulations provide the best direction as to what conditions must be met.

The key criteria (as taken from below) are as follows:

Shatter resistance
Free of excessive distortion
Optical transmittance of more than 75%
Driver must be clearly observable by those outside vehicle

Other factors that must also be taken into account include cost, formability, and weight. Due to these reasons, glass may not be advisable due to its weight.

Fabrication:

The typical way of shaping optically clear materials that meet the above conditions is through vacuum forming. A sheet of plastic, generally either acrylic or polycarbonate, is heated until it is soft and deformable. It is then sucked onto a mold that has the desired profile of the windshield and then allowed to cool until is remains in the desired shape. The difficulty is maintaining clarity and avoiding distortion throughout this entire process.

Sponsorship:

Ideally the most likely sponsor would be one already in the business of making custom shatter resistant, lightweight windshields. An example of such company can be found here: http://paplastics.com/materials.html (conveniently located in Hamilton, ON).

ASC 2018 Regulations:

9.5.C Windshield

9.5.C.1 All solar cars must have a windshield made of shatter-resistant material. The windshield must be free of excessive distortion. The windshield should not be tinted to the extent that the driver cannot be clearly observed from outside the solar car.
9.5.C.2 The solar car driver must be able to discern traffic light colors through the windscreen.

9.5.D Rain Clearing

9.5.D.1 Solar cars must have a method to clear the windshield from any falling rain such that the vision requirements of Reg. 9.5.B can be met.
9.5.D.2 The clearing method must be operable at all times and must be in use when it becomes necessary to use the windshield wipers on the team’s support vehicles.
9.5.D.3 Hydrophobic coatings (such as Rain-X) are acceptable.

WSC 2017 Regulations:

2.17 Forward and sideward vision

2.17.3 The windscreen used for forward and sideward vision must have an optical transmittance more than 75%.
2.17.4 Traffic light colours must discernable through the windscreen

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