An adhering substance removing device is configured to remove adhering substances on an exterior member of a vehicle body. The device includes a vibration generator and a vibration transmitting member. The vibration generator is configured to generate vibrations. The vibration transmitting member includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface faces the exterior member. The second surface is inclined with an acute angle relative to the first surface. The vibration generator is mounted on the second surface. The vibration transmitting member is softer than the exterior member. The vibration transmitting member is configured to generate surface waves that advance in a predetermined direction in the exterior member.

The invention relates to a motor vehicle deicing fluid comprising: at least one alkali metal salt, the weight percentage of all of the at least one alkali metal salt, in the fluid, being between 0.0001% and 50%, and at least water, the weight percentage of water in the fluid being between 0.0001% and 99.9999%.

The imaging apparatus 10 includes the lens 11, the image sensor 12 and the controller 14. A light receiving surface of the image sensor 12 is disposed on a focused position of an object by the lens 11, the object being located at a specific object distance. The controller 14 generates one or more second images from a first image obtained from the image sensor 12, the focus position of the second images being changed to an object distance different from a specific object distance, and determines the presence of foreign matters adhered to the surface on the object side of the lens, on the basis of the focused state of the second image.

Various embodiments relate to sensing defects associated with a window. Furthermore, various embodiments relate to performing image processing to produce a corrected image of a scene based at least partly on data corresponding to the detected defects. In some examples, one or more lighting modules may be used to illuminate the window to facilitate detection of the defects by one or more sensor devices.

A vehicle includes a tank configured to store washing liquid, a washing device configured to wash a first washing target portion and a second washing target portion, and a control device configured to perform manual washing in which the washing device is caused to wash at least the first washing target portion when a washing request is made by an occupant of the vehicle, determine whether the second washing target portion is dirty or not, and perform automatic washing in which the washing device is caused to wash at least the second washing target portion when a determination is made that the second washing target portion is dirty. The control device is configured not to perform the automatic washing even when a determination is made that the second washing target portion is dirty in a case where a stored amount is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold amount.

A system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to actuate a component upon determining that a hydrophobic coating of a surface is degraded based on a comparison of a characteristic of a liquid droplet with a threshold value.

A vehicle control apparatus includes one or more electronic control units configured to execute autonomous traveling control of a vehicle based on detection results of a plurality of sensors, a cleaner configured to clean dirt off of at least one of the plurality of sensors. The one or more electronic control units arc configured to determine, when cleaning of dirt of a first sensor is executed, whether or not execution of the autonomous traveling control can be continued based on a detection result of one or more remaining sensors among the plurality of sensors, control the vehicle such that a required detection range is narrowed in case it is determined that the execution of the autonomous traveling control cannot be continued, and control the cleaner such that the cleaner cleans dirt off of the first sensor while continuing the execution of the autonomous traveling control.

A system includes a camera having a field of view, a cleaning apparatus positioned to clean the camera, and a computer communicatively coupled to the camera and the cleaning apparatus. The computer is programmed to detect an obstruction on the camera based on sensing a trajectory of an external light source relative to the field of view in data from the camera, and upon detecting the obstruction, activate the cleaning apparatus.

A method of monitoring a windshield of a vehicle including: capturing an image of a windshield of a vehicle; determining that debris is located on the windshield in response to the image of the windshield; determining a location of the debris on the windshield; determining to remove the debris from the windshield; and actuating a drive motor of a wiper system to clean the location, the drive motor being operably connected to a wiper arm having a wiper blade.

An apparatus includes an exterior surface including an aperture, a sensor defining a field of view oriented through the aperture, a nozzle shell on the exterior surface and including a nozzle panel facing the aperture, and a heating element disposed in or on the nozzle panel. The nozzle panel includes a nozzle.