Tesla Patents Unique Laser Windshield Wiper Concept

• by Martin Punter
• September 13, 2021
• 3 min read

Never short on ideas, Tesla’s new windshield patent is something from the future. Lasers cleaning your windshield is incredibly sci-fi, perhaps too sci-fi for an EV?

Laser technology could be the future for Tesla, implemented in all cars moving forwards

Tesla, the American automaker known for its forward-thinking concepts/cars, has come through once again with an idea that could shake the fabric of the industry yet again.

Maybe not to the extent of the Cybertruck, but we consider it pretty groundbreaking nonetheless.

The known carmaker recently obtained a patent that revolves around using lasers to clean debris off of vehicles. In other words, laser windshield wipers.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard of this tech either. Electrek reported on Tesla working on laser-beam tech around two years ago via a previous patent.

This version described the concept as “A cleaning system for a vehicle includes a beam optics assembly that emits a laser beam to irradiate a region on a glass article of the vehicle, debris detection circuitry that detects debris accumulated over the region, and control circuitry.”

Here’s more on the tech for the interested:

“The control circuitry calibrates a set of parameters associated with the laser beam emitted from the beam optics assembly based on detection of the debris accumulated over the region on the glass article, controls an exposure level of the laser beam on the debris accumulated based on calibration of the set of parameters associated with the laser beam, wherein the exposure level is controlled based on pulsing the laser beam at a calibrated rate that limits penetration of the laser beam to a depth that is less than a thickness of the glass article, and removes the debris accumulated over the region on the glass article using the laser beam.”

The new patent we’re talking about today is titled: “Pulsed laser cleaning of debris accumulated on glass articles in vehicles and photovoltaic assemblies.”

An image taken from Tesla’s windshield patent showing how it works

Many have theorised that the upcoming Cybertruck will take advantage of similar tech, given previous concepts showed the electric truck without wipers.

Speaking of the Cybertruck, last month we covered a patent relating to its ‘origami-like’ windshield and design, adding to the durability of the EV.

Keep in mind that patents don’t always come to fruition, especially when it comes to tech. That being said, this is Tesla we’re talking about. This automaker makes the impossible possible. Give us your thoughts on lasers cleaning windshields down in the comments below.

Martin Punter

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