Tesla gets patent for LASER wipers.....

Jhodgesatmb

Well-known member
First Name
Jack
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Threads
63
Messages
4,901
Reaction score
7,088
Location
San Francisco Bay area
Website
www.arbor-studios.com
Vehicles
Tesla Model Y LR, Tesla Model 3 LR
Occupation
Retired AI researcher
Country flag
Throw me a bone here people, All I want is a Frikn' Cybertruck with Frikn' lazers on it. Is that too much to ask? I'm guessing if lasers are installed, they will only be secondary to conventional wipers. Tesla is always about safety.
:) In the original patent application they talked about the lasers coming from the sides, inside the glass matrix, but in the diagram the showed on Teslarati and Electrek it looks like the lasers are mounted on the hood. I kind of doubt that for the same reason we don't have light sabers and such. It is hard to stop a laser. What happens if your windshield gets damaged and it starts to rain. The first object the laser may come in contact with could be your head. I also have doubts about how this thing will perform in freezing rain, heavy snow, mud, heavy dust (as in apre-volcano or forest fire), etc. When they announced the use of Alon Glass they said (there is a video of the discussion way back in January, 2020 on this forum) that it would be super smooth and naturally repel all substances like RainX. Of course, RainX is not that great, for example with bird droppings and bugs. For all these reasons I think it is cool that they submitted and got the patent application approved, but wouldn't hold my breath on it appearing in the CT as described today. Maybe you could mount a laser on your CT and get away with it for a while?
 

Ogre

Well-known member
First Name
Dennis
Joined
Jul 3, 2021
Threads
164
Messages
10,719
Reaction score
26,998
Location
Ogregon
Vehicles
Model Y
Country flag
:) In the original patent application they talked about the lasers coming from the sides, inside the glass matrix, but in the diagram the showed on Teslarati and Electrek it looks like the lasers are mounted on the hood. I kind of doubt that for the same reason we don't have light sabers and such. It is hard to stop a laser. What happens if your windshield gets damaged and it starts to rain. The first object the laser may come in contact with could be your head. I also have doubts about how this thing will perform in freezing rain, heavy snow, mud, heavy dust (as in apre-volcano or forest fire), etc. When they announced the use of Alon Glass they said (there is a video of the discussion way back in January, 2020 on this forum) that it would be super smooth and naturally repel all substances like RainX. Of course, RainX is not that great, for example with bird droppings and bugs. For all these reasons I think it is cool that they submitted and got the patent application approved, but wouldn't hold my breath on it appearing in the CT as described today. Maybe you could mount a laser on your CT and get away with it for a while?
This is a much more interesting idea. If the window is hydrophobic, combined with the slope, it might just slough off water? Then just eliminating the debris would be the only thing you need a wiper for.

Woke up this morning and there was a layer of ash on the windshield. That would need to be dealt with.
 


anionic1

Well-known member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Apr 30, 2021
Threads
29
Messages
1,644
Reaction score
1,982
Location
California
Vehicles
Cybertruck
Occupation
Estimator
Country flag
I really don’t know wether to think this is great or dumb. I guess in areas that get a lot of bugs on the window it might help. But really???!!! Lasers to clean the windows. Most of me sees this and wants to ask Tesla to please just focus on what they have committed to already.
 

Quicksilver

Well-known member
First Name
Charles
Joined
Feb 24, 2020
Threads
10
Messages
538
Reaction score
644
Location
Alabama
Vehicles
Nissan van
Occupation
Retired military
Country flag
Just give me conventional wipers.
I saw a lot of stuff in the military that was a good idea in theory but useless in practical application.
Just something else that could go wrong and cost a fortune to repair or replace.
Remember KISS.
 

Ogre

Well-known member
First Name
Dennis
Joined
Jul 3, 2021
Threads
164
Messages
10,719
Reaction score
26,998
Location
Ogregon
Vehicles
Model Y
Country flag
Just give me conventional wipers.
I saw a lot of stuff in the military that was a good idea in theory but useless in practical application.
Just something else that could go wrong and cost a fortune to repair or replace.
Remember KISS.
That’s what I said about door handles!

Reminder: Tesla has said nothing about this, just conjecture right now.
 


OneLapper

Well-known member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Dec 3, 2019
Threads
12
Messages
452
Reaction score
928
Location
NE Conn
Vehicles
BMW 328d Sportswagon
Country flag
I'm positive the CT will use the magnetic rail wiper system that is hidden under the hood when not in use. It's a very clever design, energy efficient, light weight, and will reach a larger portion of the windshield than conventional wipers would.

The laser patent has good Semi application where cleaning the windshield is a real bitch. Nonetheless, I love the idea of it, but the practical application of it will remain to be seen.
 

rr6013

Well-known member
First Name
Rex
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Threads
54
Messages
1,680
Reaction score
1,620
Location
Coronado Bay Panama
Website
shorttakes.substack.com
Vehicles
1997 Tahoe 2 door 4x4
Occupation
Retired software developer and heavy commercial design builder
Country flag
I really don’t know wether to think this is great or dumb. I guess in areas that get a lot of bugs on the window it might help. But really???!!! Lasers to clean the windows. Most of me sees this and wants to ask Tesla to please just focus on what they have committed to already.
This Alien technology fits Mars and would have kept a rover going had it been real and available to clean solar panels.

Huge installations of solar panels, laser clean would reduce ongoing maintenance highest labor cost. Then smaller arrays will justify robo cost containment with the technology.

Autos decades after concept might see something retail AFTER risk to retinal damage from looking directly at a beam of laser is resolved. Handheld grocery scanner is dangerous and people haven’t a clue if it hits their eye how ”close call” those can be if they look.

Patent is for the idea. Tesla patent fence the future possibilities to make laser progress on surface wiping. Wipers are like tires only the compound gets improved not the original invention. I could envision a narrow focus mirrored tube embodiment between which everything in its path is obliterated. That could protect against harm.
 
OP
OP
fritter63

fritter63

Well-known member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Jan 21, 2020
Threads
33
Messages
1,422
Reaction score
2,877
Location
Atascadero
Vehicles
2018 Model 3 LR, 2019 Model 3 SR+
Occupation
Retired Software Engineer, Woodworker and guitar builder extraordinaire
Country flag
“it’ll divert power from the main phasers, Cap,n!” -Scotty
Sponsored

 
 




Top