Passive Dome Wiper Control for Clear Autonomous Vehicle Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face reduced accuracy and reliability in navigation due to optical deterrents like dust, dirt, and debris accumulating on sensor housings, which can occlude cameras and attenuate laser scanning equipment.
Innovation Solution
A passive wiper system with a rotating assembly and wiper blades that deploy and stow automatically, using position sensors and a control system to determine blade position and speed, and a fluid dispensing system to clear optical deterrents from a dome-shaped surface housing sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are mounted on the vehicle to detect objects and determine location, then the autonomous vehicle navigation capability is improved, but optical deterrents accumulate on sensor housings reducing accuracy and reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper system automatically detects when optical deterrents are present on the sensor housing and activates to clean the surface without manual intervention. The system uses sensors to monitor the housing surface and triggers the wiper mechanism autonomously when cleaning is needed, allowing the system to service itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that continuously monitor the sensor housing for the presence of optical deterrents. When deterrents are detected, the system receives feedback and activates the wiper mechanism to clean the surface, then monitors again to confirm cleaning effectiveness, creating a closed-loop feedback system that maintains optical clarity.
2Reliability
If a wiper system is added to clear optical deterrents from sensor housings, then sensor visibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper system is integrated with the sensor housing structure, combining the cleaning function with the existing sensor mounting architecture. The wiper mechanism is positioned to work in conjunction with the sensor array, merging multiple functions into a unified system that reduces overall complexity compared to separate independent systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiper system is designed to service multiple sensors simultaneously with a single mechanism, providing universal cleaning capability across the sensor housing. The fluid dispensing system also serves dual purposes by both cleaning optical deterrents and potentially providing lubrication or protection to the wiper blade itself.
3Area of stationary object
If the wiper blade rotates 360 degrees around the dome, then complete coverage of sensor housing is achieved, but the position control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical position sensing mechanisms with magnetic field-based Hall sensors. The magnet attached to the rotating wiper blade interacts with the Hall sensor to provide position information without requiring complex mechanical encoders or multiple sensors, simplifying the position control system while enabling accurate 360-degree tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
A magnet is introduced as an intermediary element between the rotating wiper blade and the position sensor system. This magnet serves as a simple, reliable marker that the Hall sensor can detect to determine blade position, acting as a mediator that converts mechanical rotation into detectable electrical signals without requiring complex sensing machinery.
4Productivity
If fluid dispensing is synchronized with wiper blade position, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid dispensing system is positioned and timed to release cleaning fluid just before the wiper blade arrives at each sensor housing location. The system anticipates the blade position based on rotation speed and timing, dispensing fluid in advance to optimize cleaning effectiveness rather than reacting after the blade contacts the surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid dispensing operates in periodic intervals synchronized with the rotational position of the wiper blade. Rather than continuous dispensing, the system releases fluid at regular intervals corresponding to each blade pass, improving efficiency by matching fluid application to the periodic cleaning cycles and reducing overall fluid consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system continuously clears optical deterrents from the dome, ensuring clear sensor visibility and maintaining the accuracy and reliability of navigation systems in autonomous vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
The position sensor is a hall sensor that can detect the presence of a magnet coupled to the wiper assembly
Implementation Method 2
A wiper assembly includes a wiper blade that is configured to rotate around the dome
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of spray nozzles are arranged around a circumference of the dome
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a dome, a wiper assembly, a position sensor and a control device. The wiper assembly includes a wiper blade configured to rotate around the dome. The position sensor may be configured to send a signal to a control device when a wiper blade passes the position sensor. The control device may include one or more processors configured to receive the signal from the position sensor and determine a location of the wiper blade relative to the dome based on the received signal.