Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system • Hacker News Board

Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system

#71

Post by jacquesm » Sat, Sep 14, 2019, 10:42 PM UTC

nordsieck wrote: post #57

paganel wrote: post #41

Why replace a simple but essential thing that works (i.e. current wipers) with a more complicated one that it will have lots of additional ways to fail?

> Why replace a simple but essential thing that works (i.e. current wipers) with a more complicated one that it will have lots of additional ways to fail? Do you mean like door handles? Presumably because it looks cool.

On the doorhandles I can see the point: to make the vehicle more aerodynamic. Every little bit counts, four doorhandles are quite a bit of disturbance of the airflow.

Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system

#72

Post by jacquesm » Sat, Sep 14, 2019, 10:44 PM UTC

PorterDuff wrote: post #58

WalterBright wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always think it's a bit incongruous to see them on the cockpit windows of airliners. Sort of like having a vacuum tube power supply for your computer. (Two other solutions exist. One is spinning the window, you'll see it on ships. The other is making the window hot.)

> (Two other solutions exist... Or using a monitor for the 'windshield' and cooking up some way to keep the camera lens clean.

> and cooking up some way to keep the camera lens clean

Put it behind a piece of glass?

Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system

#73

Post by jacquesm » Sat, Sep 14, 2019, 10:47 PM UTC

MegaButts wrote: post #21

The Mercedes Monoblade was my favorite design, although it was notoriously expensive and unreliable. https://99percentinvisible.org/article/behind-screens-windsh...

I've had a couple of those, never had one fail. Important to keep them lubed up though, and not to run them on dry windows, but that goes for all wipers alike.

Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system

#74

Post by todd8 » Sat, Sep 14, 2019, 10:47 PM UTC

MegaButts wrote: post #21

The Mercedes Monoblade was my favorite design, although it was notoriously expensive and unreliable. https://99percentinvisible.org/article/behind-screens-windsh...

Yes I had such a MB wiper and never had any trouble with it. It provided good coverage of the windshield.

Today, my MB uses two wipers, but it is nevertheless an interesting design as well. Windshield cleaner fluid is not sprayed out though jets that roughly cover the windshield; instead the cleaner fluid comes out from the blades themselves as they move across the windshield. This is almost not visible while it is happening, while cleaning the windshield just as well or better without vision obscuring spraying.

Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system

#75

Post by jacquesm » Sat, Sep 14, 2019, 10:48 PM UTC

kenhwang wrote: post #60

brianpgordon wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More critical in the case of Tesla, where there are cameras mounted behind the windshield (on the rear-view mirror). This is one of the typical talking points in the LIDAR vs optical debate, because the rain makes it difficult to see with passive optical sensors.

The area in front of my rear view mirror is the only area on my windshield wiped by both wipers presumably because all the sensors are there and they wanted some sort of redundancy.

So it is occluded four times every wiper cycle.

Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system

#76

Post by PorterDuff » Sat, Sep 14, 2019, 10:56 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #72

PorterDuff wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> (Two other solutions exist... Or using a monitor for the 'windshield' and cooking up some way to keep the camera lens clean.

> and cooking up some way to keep the camera lens clean Put it behind a piece of glass?

And then itty bitty windshield wipers on the glass.

Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system

#77

Post by NullPrefix » Sat, Sep 14, 2019, 10:56 PM UTC

journalctl wrote: post #50

NullPrefix wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Horses work too. Just saying.

That’s a bad analogy and I think you know that.

Are you implying that horses are not a viable form of transportation?

Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system

#78

Post by natch » Sat, Sep 14, 2019, 11:03 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #75

kenhwang wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The area in front of my rear view mirror is the only area on my windshield wiped by both wipers presumably because all the sensors are there and they wanted some sort of redundancy.

So it is occluded four times every wiper cycle.

There are three cameras there and they are spaced out so it is possible the occlusion is not as much as you imply.

Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system

#79

Post by natch » Sat, Sep 14, 2019, 11:06 PM UTC

wwwigham wrote: post #7

shalmanese wrote: post #5

> Tesla was also thinking about its Autopilot system when conceptualizing the patent for the wiper system. The argument is that traditional wiper systems aren't as robust as this new electromagnetic system; time and weather can lead to corrosion, making the traditional setup less effective over time. The resulting lack of visibility could hamper Autopilot and other autonomous-driving aids that use cameras to track la…

In a Tesla, isn't there a camera in the middle between the driver and passenger inside the passenger compartment at the very top of the windshield?

Yes, but three, not just one.

Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system

#80

Post by autokad » Sat, Sep 14, 2019, 11:17 PM UTC

semi-extrinsic wrote: post #63

KaiserPro wrote: post #26

That looks like a linear motor, which unless I'm missing something is spectacularly power hungry. By the looks of it, it also need linear bearings, which are difficult to seal against leaves, dirt, moss, ice and snow. I'm going to wager £20 and say its not a game changer.

This article is full of breathless praise for an idea it's just seen sketched on paper. Calling it "like a maglev", oh except there is no levitation involved. Saying this will give increased reliability, claiming stuff like "time and weather can lead to corrosion, making the traditional setup less effective over time" which is clearly nonsensical. I've driven cars that are 30 years old with original wiper motor assem…

any efficiency claimed should be about how much water its able to wipe from the view of the occupants, not motor efficiency.