An enemy of an automatic driving car is not rainy or fog but actually it is a "car wash machine"

For automated driving cars running on public roads while checking the surrounding situation with various sensors, or to vehicles equipped with automatic driving function, it is most necessary to avoid depriving the functions of the camera or radar that is the "eye" It is that. There are several situations that make it difficult to confirm the surroundings, such as night driving, strong rain, and dense fog, but in fact there are unexpected weaknesses in automatic driving cars that are "weak car wash machines".

For self-driving cars, car washes are a nightmare - Feb. 22, 2018
http://money.cnn.com/2018/02/22/technology/self-driving-car-wash/index.html

A car wash machine that is placed at a gas station, etc. is a convenient thing that makes cars beautiful simply by getting in a car and pushing a button, and there are a lot of people who would like to wash car wash with car wash machines. In the past, bad influences such as "it got scratched with a brush" have been whispered, but in recent years it has never been caught up in troubles that actually scratch due to improvements in brush material etc.

However, it is said that the car wash machine will become a big enemy for the automatic driving car. In the automatic driving car, sensors that detect the circumstances around the body are placed here and there, which is why the sensor is affected by car wash machines unfavorably. As one example, if the car wash machine washes the car body soaked in the soap ingredients of the car shampoo, it will remain in the gaps where the sensor is contained and the sensor will be in the original performance I will not be able to operate.

Sensor may also be affected by high pressure water injection performed when rinsing and finishing cleaning ingredients. The fact that high pressure is applied to the sensor exposed on the surface of the car body will cause the calibration to shift so that accurate measurement can not be performed, and in some cases the expensive sensor itself may be destroyed .

However, the automatic driving car needs to be cleaned more frequently than the other cars. In order to ensure the performance as specified by washing away mud, water scum, insect bites that will hinder the sensor section. Therefore, each company recommends washing the car body with 'hand wash' instead of car wash machine.


Waymo, which was originated in Google, and has been pursuing automatic driving development under Alphabet, is one such company. The test vehicle operated by the company is being maintained by Avis, a cooperating company, but at that time it is always decided to wash the car body by hand washing. AvisChief Innovation OfficerArthur Orduña, CIO, says, "There are clearly many processes requiring care and focus, and car washing needs to be carried out frequently as far as handling.In our company, We are offering a higher level of service to Waymo's vehicles than any example, "responds to CNN's interview.

Although it was not clear how often Avis washes car wash, it seems that the same can be said for companies that are developing other automatic driving car technologies. Companies such as Toyota, Aptiv, Drive.AI, Uber, etc. use CNC to wash a microfiber material washing cloth that does not scratch the car body when car washing, and also use alcohol and glass cleaner, I explain it as polishing cleanly.

Although it is an automatic driving car with only the image of "state-of-the-art technology", there is a circumstance in which manual work is forced in the part of washing car. However, some companies have noticed this situation. SEEVA, which has developed a device to efficiently wash away dirty windshields which are dirty with rain and snow making use of the heat of the engine, makes the sensor of the automatic driving car always beautiful by applying the technology It seems that we are developing devices.

SEEVA Technologies | Overview & amp; Mission - YouTube