Want to waste $100K? Put a driverless car in a car wash
Digital Reporter
Monday, February 26, 2018, 2:47 PM - Driverless cars are often lauded as a technological advancement -- but it turns out they require a lot of old-fashioned pampering.
Experts say the cars must be washed by hand, and they require more frequent cleanings than traditional vehicles because dust, rain and slush can damage or obstruct their sensors.
Putting a driverless car into a traditional, automatic car wash is a recipe for disaster. According to CNN, soap residue or water spots could "blind"or break the sensors, which can cost over $100,000 to repair.
"There are special processes that definitely require a lot more care and focus, and you have to clean [the vans] quite often," Arthur Orduña, Avis chief innovation officer, whose company manages a fleet of self-driving vehicles, told CNN. "We give them the premium level of service that I don't think any vehicle globally is getting."
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While Avis doesn't reveal how it cleans its automated cars, companies like Toyota and Uber say they use micorfibre cloths and glass cleaners for manual washes. To clean snow and ice off of delicate cameras, Uber applies windshield washer fluid with a squirt bottle and dries them with a puff of air to prevent water residue.
Companies like General Motors and a start-up called Seeva -- are developing equipment that can clean some of the cameras on driverless cars.
Still, Seeva CEO Diane Lansinger tells CNN it could be some time before the vehicles don't require some level of personal care.
“For self-driving technology to scale, we can’t have engineers paid $150,000 a year, running around the vehicles and wiping them down,” she adds
Source: CNN
