Following the breakthrough of self-driving cars, Google is taking convenience to the next level as it introduced the possibility of equipping cars with self-cleaning system, which will eliminate debris from the car's sensors, according to the patent won by the company on Thursday.
Google's self-driving cars are basically surrounded with a variety of sensors, including cameras, laser-based sensors and radar sensors. And all these sensors not only drive cars to its destined locations but are also vital for the passengers' safety.
In Google's case, these sensors are protected by a dome-shaped glass situated on top of the car. To make sure that these remain functional and uncompromised by external factors, it needs to be kept clean.
To address this possible dilemma, Google plans to develop an automatic wiper system that will detect if the dome case becomes dirty and automatically initiate its own self-cleaning process, the Business Insider reported.
The system features several number of wipers that can work simultaneously and rotate 360 degrees. It also has its own wiper fluid to be used to tidy up the dirt.
If this system comes out of the market, it will offer not only convenience to customers but also assurance that the sensors were cleaned by a patented and proven effective technology, according to Android Headlines.
Although Google has long been perfecting its self-driving cars, many are still hesitant of their safety. Fully acknowledging its customers' feedback and concerns, Google has recently opened a job position seeking professional drivers with clean slate records to operate its self-driving cars at least six hours a day. Those hired drivers are expected to give their own feedback based on their expertise to the engineering team so it could be corrected before it begins working on a commercial version, which is expected to hit the road in 2018.
