A patent filed by Tesla could create a new way for car cameras to clean themselves when they get dirty.
The method involves adding a fluid reservoir and wiper into the camera assembly.
This allows the camera to rid itself of debris similar to how a human eye blinks.
Elon Musk has long claimed that his cars don't need extra sensors like lidar and radar to become autonomous. Teslas should be able to drive themselves using only cameras and computing power, he has said, since humans can drive with just eyes and a brain. Now Tesla is working on something akin to eyelids for its cars.
A new patent filed by Tesla describes a spherical-shaped wiper that follows the contour of the camera lens. The wiper is aided by a fluid dispenser that works together with the wiper blade to clear the lens of debris. Sounds a lot like how the human eye works, no? This is just a patent, and it's not clear that the tech will make it into Tesla's passenger cars or Robotaxi fleet, or what vehicles it's intended for.
