Vehicle Sensor Window Cleaning via Adaptive Air and Liquid Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles face challenges in maintaining the cleanliness of object-detection sensors, such as LIDAR devices, due to contaminants like dirt and precipitation, which can impair their functionality and accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a combination of adjustable air and liquid pressure settings to effectively remove contaminants from sensor windows, with a computer processor determining the optimal pressure settings based on the location and size of the contaminant, and directing the airflow and liquid flow to specific zones on the sensor window.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If air and liquid pressure are increased to remove contaminants from sensor windows, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts air and liquid pressure settings based on detected contaminant characteristics. The processor determines optimal pressure combinations by analyzing contaminant location and size, then adjusts pressure in real-time to maintain cleaning effectiveness while minimizing energy consumption. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by avoiding constant high-pressure operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes pressure parameters adaptively based on contaminant conditions. Different pressure settings are applied for different contaminant types, locations, and sizes. This parameter optimization allows the system to achieve effective cleaning with minimal energy expenditure by matching pressure levels to actual cleaning needs rather than using fixed high-pressure settings.
2Measurement precision
If the sensor window is cleaned more frequently to maintain accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from sensor data to determine when cleaning is actually needed. The processor analyzes detection quality and contaminant presence to trigger cleaning only when necessary. This feedback mechanism maintains measurement precision by cleaning on-demand rather than following a fixed schedule, thereby reducing unnecessary time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system serves itself by automatically detecting when cleaning is required and initiating the appropriate cleaning sequence without external intervention. The system monitors its own performance and self-regulates cleaning frequency based on actual sensor conditions, optimizing the balance between maintaining accuracy and minimizing time loss.
3Reliability
If multiple pressure settings are used to target specific contaminant zones, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor window is divided into multiple zones, and the system selectively applies pressure to specific zones based on contaminant location. Rather than uniformly cleaning the entire window, the processor identifies which zones require cleaning and directs air and liquid flow accordingly. This segmentation approach improves cleaning effectiveness for targeted contaminants while avoiding the complexity of controlling multiple independent pressure sources.
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 ensures continuous operation of object-detection sensors by efficiently removing contaminants, maintaining sensor accuracy and reliability, even in varying environmental conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The air source moves air across the sensor window
Implementation Method 2
The liquid source moves liquid across the sensor window
Implementation Method 3
The combination of the air pressure setting for the air source and the liquid pressure setting for the liquid source
Data Source
AI summary
A computer includes a processor and a memory storing processor-executable instructions. The processor is programmed to receive data indicating a contaminant on a sensor window of a vehicle; determine a combination of an air pressure setting of an air source and a liquid pressure setting of a liquid source to remove the contaminant from the sensor window; and set the air source to the air pressure setting and the liquid source to the liquid pressure setting.