Tesla is one of the automotive manufacturers that invests the most in R&D in the world, in relation to cars. We are not only talking about motors and batteries but also other technologies of daily use. Now a new patent for laser wipers has arrived on the web.
Introduced in 2019, it was accepted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) only in 2021 and made available to everyone. It means that if Tesla does not use the system on its vehicles, other third-party manufacturers could use the patent to improve it and eventually offer it on their production cars.
The operation of the laser wiper is, on paper, quite simple: you need a laser optical unit installed on the bonnet of the car capable of irradiating the entire windshield and recognizing any external elements placed on the glass.
Based on the detection of these elements, the laser beams are focused so that these “obstacles” are removed. The power of the beam is directly proportional to the size of the detected element, with the system that can operate automatically or be operated manually by the driver.
A technology that could be excellent for removing any insects squashed on the glass, even if there is some doubt about the removal of water: in the rain, a pair of traditional wipers is likely to be more practical and effective. Will we ever see this system on stock Tesla? Difficult to say, it is not even the first patent of this type registered by the Californian manufacturer.
In the past, we had already seen a windshield wiper installed on rails, which should have cleaned the windshield of the Roadster from side to side. Certainly, Tesla is looking for an alternative solution to clean the windshield, who knows if one day he will opt for an innovative system to be adopted en masse.