The present disclosure relates to vehicle technology, and more particularly, to an unmanned vehicle and its sensor device and cleaning mechanism. The cleaning mechanism includes: a housing, a cleaning element, a driving component transmissively connected to the cleaning element and a control unit installed within a receiving cavity. The housing has a light transmissive element provided on a side surface thereof. The cleaning element is pivotable about one end thereof and mounted to the housing. The cleaning element, when pivoting, frictionally interacts with a surface of the light transmissive element that is away from the receiving cavity to clean the light transmissive element. The control unit is communicatively connected to the driving component for controlling the driving component.

A vehicle tank includes a first housing portion configured to house a first liquid for cleaning a cleaning object, and a second housing portion configured to receive a second liquid heated outside by heat exchange with a heating unit of a vehicle and house the second liquid which is received. A first wall defining the first housing portion and a second wall defining the second housing portion have a common wall shared by the first housing portion and the second housing portion.

Of moving directions of a piston, the direction in which high-pressure air is delivered is a delivery direction, and the direction in the opposite direction from the delivery direction is a force accumulation direction. The piston is moved in the force accumulation direction by the moving mechanism, and moved in the delivery direction by the biasing force of the biasing spring in response to the release of the moving force exerted by the moving mechanism. The cylinder is provided with: a piston supporting portion that supports the piston; and a connection protrusion that has a delivery path for delivering the high-pressure air to the nozzle. The inner surface of an end of the piston supporting portion in the delivery direction is formed as a closed surface. The delivery path is located further toward the force accumulation direction than the closed surface is.

A motor-powered windshield scourer for any type of a motor-powered vehicle and or motor craft. The motorized windshield scourer may have a motor propelled appendages or a singular appendage that have replaceable scouring attachments joined to the appendages. The motor that propels the appendages can be positioned anywhere on or in the motor vehicle/craft, whether under the hood, in the cabin or elsewhere. The motor driven appendages with joined scouring attachments may be mounted on the windshield of the vehicle directly opposite of the windshield wiper blades. When turned on, the motor may move the appendages with joined attachments in a side to side and/or up and down motion across the windshield. The appendages may include an unpliable metal such as: steel, titanium, tungsten, or inconel, and the scouring attachments may include nylon scouring pads or a vinyl coated mesh attached to and covering rubber or foam.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to systems for cleaning a LIDAR sensor. For example, the LIDAR sensor may include a housing and internal sensor components housed within the housing. The housing may also have a sensor input surface through which light may pass. The internal sensor components may be configured to generate light of a particular wavelength. In order to clean the LIDAR sensor, a cleaning fluid may be used. The cleaning fluid may be configured to be opaque to the particular wavelength. In this regard, when the cleaning fluid is applied to the sensor input surface, the cleaning fluid absorbs light of the particular wavelength.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to systems for cleaning a LIDAR sensor. For example, the LIDAR sensor may include a housing and internal sensor components housed within the housing. The housing may also have a sensor input surface through which light may pass. The internal sensor components may be configured to generate light of a particular wavelength. In order to clean the LIDAR sensor, a cleaning fluid may be used. The cleaning fluid may be configured to be opaque to the particular wavelength. In this regard, when the cleaning fluid is applied to the sensor input surface, the cleaning fluid absorbs light of the particular wavelength.

Sensor cleaning system for cleaning sensors, in particular vehicle sensors, and associated method, characterized by a liquid reservoir for holding a cleaning liquid, and including a control unit for activating a switch unit and including at least one nozzle for spraying at least one sensor, the switch unit being provided between the liquid reservoir and the at least one nozzle, a liquid line being provided between the liquid reservoir and the switch unit and at least one nozzle line being provided between the switch unit and the at least one nozzle.

Systems and methods are directed to obtaining autonomous vehicle sensor data of an autonomous vehicle. In these system and methods that include determining a direction of motion of a vehicle based on a predicted navigational position of the vehicle, determining, based at least in part on the predicted navigational position, a change in a future light positional information that may be received by one or more sensors compared to a current light positional information being received by the one or more sensors and cleaning the one or more sensors of the vehicle prior to the change in the future light positional information and prior to the vehicle reaching the predicted navigational position.

Methods and systems for thermal management of sensors of a vehicle. The system includes a processor and a sensor cleaning subsystem including a cleaning fluid reservoir and a port that is positioned to direct cleaning fluid from the reservoir to a vehicle sensor. The processor is configured to: receive temperature data corresponding to the sensor from a temperature monitor, determine that a current temperature of the sensor is greater than a first threshold temperature, and cause the sensor cleaning subsystem to initiate a cleaning cycle and direct the cleaning fluid to the sensor to cool down the sensor in response to determining that the current temperature of the sensor is greater than the first threshold temperature.

A solenoid valve in a manifold is commanded to move to a closed position. Upon activating a pump to supply fluid to the manifold via a supply line, a first pressure is determined in the supply line after commanding the solenoid valve to move to the closed position. Upon deactivating the pump to stop supplying fluid to the manifold, a second pressure is determined in the supply line. Based on a difference between the first pressure and the second pressure, the solenoid valve is determined to be one of (a) at least partially open or (b) in the closed position.