To enhance the performance of its Full Self-Driving technology, Tesla has unveiled a novel patent aimed at addressing the issue of sunlight glare, a significant challenge for vehicle cameras. This patent, discovered by Not a Tesla App, describes a “glare shield” featuring a textured surface made up of micro-cones designed to scatter light and reduce glare interference, improving visibility for the vehicle's navigation systems.
The micro-cone design is specifically optimized in terms of size, angle, and orientation to lower Total Hemispherical Reflectance (THR), thereby enabling the cameras to better interpret visual data. Additionally, Tesla's patent includes an electromechanical system that allows these micro-cones to adjust dynamically in response to changing light angles.
This initiative is part of Tesla's broader efforts to tackle the challenges posed by sunlight glare. In a recent earnings call, CEO Elon Musk highlighted an alternative strategy involving a direct photon counting method, which further exemplifies the company's commitment to refining its autonomous driving technology.