Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a steam generator and a car washer with the steam generator. The steam generator includes: a boiler having a combustion chamber. The steam generator further includes: a windproof cover, at least a part of an ignition device of the steam generator being located in the windproof cover; an igniting cover, at least a part of the igniting cover being located in the combustion chamber, and an outlet of the windproof cover being located in the igniting cover; an air inlet grating, the air inlet grating being provided around the windproof cover and connected with the windproof cover, and the air inlet grating being located on an inner side of an air inlet of the igniting cover, to prevent airflow in the igniting cover from flowing out from the inlet of the igniting cover.

A portable blower assembly includes a cylinder that has an exhaust port integrated into the cylinder. A handle extends around the cylinder and the handle can be gripped by a user for directing the exhaust port toward a vehicle. A blower is rotatably integrated into the cylinder to urge air outwardly through the exhaust port thereby facilitating the air to be directed onto the vehicle for drying the vehicle when the blower is turned on. A heater is integrated into the cylinder such that the heater is in thermal communication with an interior of the cylinder. The heater is positioned between the blower and the exhaust port to heat the air is blown by the blower for enhancing drying the vehicle.

An autonomous vehicle (AV) maintenance system engages a user of an AV to assist in maintenance tasks. A sensor interface receives data captured by a sensor of the AV. An issue detector processes the sensor data to detect an issue in the AV. A user interface module instructs a user to perform a maintenance task addressing the detected issue. A verification module verifies that the user successfully completed the maintenance task.

An arrangement for cleaning the tires of a vehicle is described herein. The arrangement includes a gutter arrangement a strip arrangement and a brush mat arrangement on its upper surface. At one end of the arrangement is a nozzle arrangement that sprays or otherwise applies water onto the tire. The strip arrangement applies water to the tire and vibrates the tire to remove contaminants. The brush mat arrangement both cleans the tire and removes water from its surface. The water as well as the dirt and dust that has come off the tires accumulate in a collection basin under the brush mat arrangement. The arrangement is suitable for interiors of structures.

An autonomous vehicle (AV) maintenance system engages a user of an AV to assist in maintenance tasks. A sensor interface receives data captured by a sensor of the AV. An issue detector processes the sensor data to detect an issue in the AV. A user interface module instructs a user to perform a maintenance task addressing the detected issue. A verification module verifies that the user successfully completed the maintenance task.

A wash equipment assembly for a car wash and method of operating the equipment are described. For example, the assembly includes a cleaning element configured to clean a vehicle, an arm assembly operably attached to the cleaning element and configured to move the cleaning element to a vehicle cleaning position, the arm movably fixed to a support at a first end and the cleaning element mounted on the arm at a second end, a controlled locator for positioning the arm relative to the support such that the cleaning equipment is moved to the vehicle cleaning position, and a sensor for evaluating an actual orientation of the cleaning element relative to a default orientation of the cleaning element. In certain implementations, the controlled locator can modify the position of the arm in response to a signal from the sensor, thereby providing a closed loop control system.

In an aspect, there is provided a correlator for guiding a vehicle onto a vehicle conveyor. The correlator includes a wheel support surface defining a receiving end of the correlator and a conveyor-interfacing end of the correlator. The wheel support surface is positioned to support a wheel of the vehicle as the wheel rolls thereon. The correlator further includes at least one guide structure positioned to guide a wheel of the vehicle laterally during travel of the wheel on the wheel support surface from the receiving end towards the conveyor-interfacing end. The wheel support surface has a surface region having surface properties selected such that a coefficient of friction between the surface region and tire rubber is sufficiently low to prevent the wheel from having sufficient traction on the surface region to enable climbing of the wheel onto the at least one guide structure.

There is provided a system and method of cleaning surfaces of an enclosable environment of a contamination comprising a microbial and viral load. The method includes the steps of sealing the enclosable environment and placing water, and a solid or gel pack, into a container and generating a vortex the container by rotating an impeller. The agitation causes the solid or gel pack to release a gaseous cleaning agent. An air-borne spray exiting from the container spreads throughout the enclosable environment to contact the surfaces to be cleaned within the enclosable environment. The enclosable environment is maintained closed for an effective time period while the air-borne spray dwells on the surfaces to eliminate or substantially reduce the load of the contamination.

A system comprises a computer having a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to transmit a vehicle localization signal from a first vehicle, receive vehicle localization data for the first vehicle, the vehicle localization data generated based on receipt of the vehicle localization signal by a plurality of localization receivers of a vehicle movement space, determine, based on the vehicle localization data for the first vehicle, a position of the first vehicle in the vehicle movement space, determine a position of a second vehicle in the vehicle movement space relative to the position of the first vehicle, and command a first movement by the first vehicle based on the position of the first vehicle and the position of the second vehicle relative to the position of the first vehicle.

A vehicle cleaning system for cleaning a vehicle including a processor and a memory including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations. The operations include determining that a passenger compartment of the vehicle requires cleaning and identifying a type of cleaning required. The operations also include that at least one of a fragrance system, a dry particulate removal system, and a wet particulate removal system is activated in response to the type of cleaning required.