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Elmer Ambrose Sperry designed the first car with front wheel disc brakes, built by the Cleveland Machine Screw Co.
Disc brake systems work by, once the brake pedal is pressed, the brake rotor discs, which facilitate rotation of the wheels, are clamped by brake pads made of a high-friction material from both sides. Traditionally, this system has been used in commercial cars but has now started to see use in trucks and buses for its efficacy at higher speeds. This brake system requires less material than many others of its time and was arguably the most effective. -
Gottlieb Daimler among the first to ever use a brake design resembling the drum brake system.
Drum brake systems work by initiating pistons inside of wheel cylinders using the brake pedal, and applying pressure to the brake liners which are made of a high-friction material. Due to the nature of the design, these brakes are suited as the primary braking system of smaller vehicles like commercial cars and motorcycles. Revolutionary for its time, the drum braking system found was far more effective than any other standard braking system and remained that way for decades. -
Ransome E. Olds - Oldsmobile tested the first external-contracting brake system during a race in NYC
In operation, the brake band of an external contracting brake tightens around the rotating drum by moving the brake lever. The band is made from thin, flexible steel that is lined with a frictional material to create more stopping power. These brakes are often found on parking brakes for commercial cars and trucks, as well as in cranes and other heavy vehicles. This brake contributed to the adoption of emergency brake systems that have significantly reduced brake-failure-created accidents. -
The first ABS system was implemented in the Concorde aircraft in the late 1960s.
Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS) aim to prevent wheel locking and a loss of control when the brakes are pressed quickly. ABS systems use speed sensors to accurately determine wheel speed and apply brake pressure accordingly to maximise stability. ABS systems have seen implementation in all motor vehicles, including aircraft. Skidding from slamming on the brakes out of panic has been more or less rectified with the rapid adoption of ABS technology, and has led to reduced road accidents and death. -
Regenerative braking was first invented in 1967 when the American Motor Car Company
Regenerative brakes work by reversing electric motors that propel a vehicle. It works like a generator and feeds energy back into the system to help replenish some range. These small boosts accumulate and improve the overall efficiency of the vehicle. This technology has become a staple of highly efficient hybrid and electric cars alike. This push for greater efficiency reduces the environmental impact of the car and improves the user experience as charging is required less frequently.