Tesla explores laser cleaning of windshield area in front of camera, may apply to Cybercab

Tesla is studying a laser that clears only the windshield area in front of a self-driving camera; an updated patent was granted on 31 March.

Tesla is exploring a focused laser to clear dirt from the part of the windshield directly in front of a self-driving camera, ithome.com reports on 10 November. Lars Moravy, vice president of vehicle engineering, said this on Jay Leno's Garage; the approach may be applied to the Cybercab robotaxi. ithome.com

Moravy said that cleaning the whole windshield with lasers would need many laser units and make little practical sense, while focusing the beam on a small area in front of the camera is a different case. Tesla's updated laser-cleaning patent was granted on 31 March.

The patent describes a system that detects foreign matter on the glass, identifies its type and adjusts the laser pulses. The beam's penetration depth is limited so that it does not pass through the glass.

In 2021, during Cybertruck development, Elon Musk joked about laser wipers; the Cybertruck received a 48-inch wiper instead. ithome.com Tesla recommends that owners replace wiper blades once a year.