Posted at 11:45 a.m.
Drivers have been using their windscreen wipers for more than a century, without ever questioning them… Since 1902, the year of their invention, windscreen wipers have practically never changed. And it’s not for lack of being used, quite the contrary. Whether we use them for ice and calcium in winter, for rain and mosquitoes in summer, they are of constant use to us to clear our field of vision and, consequently, to ensure a driving in complete safety.
They are of good use to us to a certain extent, at the very least. Because it must be admitted that if a driver wants to ensure that he has a 100% clean windshield throughout his journey, he will sometimes also have to use a cloth to clean the glass perfectly before hitting the road.
In car racing, we use transparent films that can be applied to the visor of our helmet, a film that can be removed when it is soiled. Effective, yes, but it never lasts long.
Now Tesla could bring a significant change in the field. The Californian company tends towards innovation with its intention to create a laser wiper system that would perfectly clean the windows of vehicles, and over their full extent. A small revolution in itself.
To date, two patent applications have been filed to this effect by Elon Musk’s company. Innovations which, if they materialize one day, could transform the habits of drivers.
The wipers of the future
For now, the laser system is just a concept under consideration, but it could become a reality in the not-too-distant future. And it’s not that complicated.
It is a cleaning system in which the laser beams would have the task of irradiating a dirty area to make it clean. Accurate detection of the laser would effectively target any intruding particles on the glass, be it dust or debris, and eliminate them. All this without breaking through the glass and disturbing the occupants of the vehicle.
It is also credited with some expanded virtues.
Not only could the laser be used on all the windows of the car, but it could also be used on the rear view camera, or any other camera. If these cameras were permanently clean, their efficiency would be greatly improved.
Same thing for the solar panel of the roof of the vehicle, or for the famous solar tiles (Solar roof) also developed by Tesla, solar tiles that can be installed on houses, so that our roof produces energy. Such laser technology would reduce the maintenance of these roofs, and any other solar panels, for that matter.
For vehicles, some believe the laser could also potentially be powerful enough to remove water when rain falls on the windshield. But in the information gathered to date, this aspect remains uncertain.
In tandem with electromagnetic windshield wipers?
As for the windshield specifically, Tesla could easily solve the water problem by combining its laser system with another system the company is currently working on, that of electromagnetic windshield wipers.
These new type of wipers would also have several advantages to offer drivers. The blades would be thinner, with a more discreet design than that of conventional wipers. As a result, they would obstruct the driver’s view less, cover a larger area, and be more effective. In addition, these electromagnetic wipers would eat up less energy from the vehicle’s battery, giving it more autonomy.
Some experts believe that, for the moment, these electromagnetic wipers could arrive on the market long before the laser system. The future will tell.
But if the past is any guarantee of the future, Tesla could surprise us. The automaker is already innovating in this area by already using a humidity sensor in its vehicles, a system where artificial intelligence is responsible for ensuring that the car’s windshield is always impeccable.
Since 2019
Tesla’s laser system was back in the news last fall after its patent was finally cleared, but it’s been more than two years since the automaker filed it.
That said, it is not because a technology has been validated that it will certainly be applied, but it is possible to believe that Tesla is seriously considering it. The designers of the brand’s vehicles visualize its arrival, in any case. On the official photos of two of Tesla’s prototypes, the Roadster and its famous Cybertruck, the vehicles have no windshield wipers…A clue? To be continued.
Tesla will be to follow in several areas, moreover. In 2021, the company presented a humanoid robot whose mission would be to support humans at work in dangerous or repetitive tasks. You can not stop progress !