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Tesla patent envisions lasers that act like windshield wipers to clean debris off cars

Tesla patent envisions lasers that act like windshield wipers to shipshape debris off cars

Tesla has thought up a new way to use lasers — as windshield wipers. The US Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday gave Tesla a patent on a way of using laser beams to shipshape debris off a windshield, and potentially other glass parts of a vehicle. 

The patent is titled “Pulsed laser cleaning of debris accumulated on glass articles in vehicles and photovoltaic assemblies.” The laser beams would act as “a cleaning apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a beam optics assembly configured to emit a laser beam to irradiate a station on a glass article that is installed in the vehicle,” according to the patent. 

Tesla recorded a patent application for the laser-based technology back in 2018, which was previously reported by Electrek. 

But just because the electric car custom has a patent doesn’t mean you’ll see lasers on the next Tesla car. It’s possible, but unlikely to be in production anytime soon. Last month, Tesla filed a patent application for a new glass-forming contrivance for the Cybertruck.