Tesla Files a Patent for Laser Beams That Can Burn Off Debris from a Car's Glass

The system would use cameras to detect dirt on windshields, side or rear glass, or camera lenses and then deploy a laser to burn the debris off when necessary. The patent even features an illustration of a Tesla Model with lasers mounted on its hood and fender.

But the question is, would lasers really be better at cleaning debris than traditional windshield wiper? While we don't know the answer to that, one thing is for sure, the lasers are capable of targeting areas of the car not accessible to conventional windshield wipers.

A safe solution?

We have to give it to Tesla, this is definitely a thinking-out-of-the-box, innovative solution. But are lasers safe for cleaning glass? Common sense would suggest that the laser would pass through and possibly damage what is on the other side of the glass including humans in the car.

But, the people over at Tesla have already taken care of this issue, and the patent takes into account that problem. They recommend coating the glass with an indium tin oxide coating to ensure that the laser beams can't pass through. 

Last but not least, Tesla also suggests using the system for cleaning photovoltaic solar panels. It is known that debris on solar panels greatly reduces their ability to generate electricity. 

However, cleaning solar panels has long been a complicated and labor-intensive undertaking. Could lasers be the solution we have all been waiting for?

For now, the system is just a patent and it still needs to prove its efficiency in practice before it becomes available to the public. Nonetheless, the idea behind this innovation excites us and we can't wait to see where this might go.