A Tesla Robotaxi patent has been revealed, showcasing the company’s efforts to develop an automatic sanitation system. The international filing date for the patent is February 21, 2023. Clues within the patent suggest that the automatic sanitation system is intended for Tesla’s upcoming Robotaxi fleet, which will consist of Tesla Cybercabs.
In fact, Figure 5 in the patent outlines a vehicle that resembles the Tesla Cybercab that has been teased in previous company content. The patent’s abstract indicates that the automatic sanitation system is designed for vehicles that will be “shared among multiple persons.” According to the patent, sensors will be utilized to detect temperature, humidity, and the presence of pathogens within the vehicle.
The system will then use this sensor data to generate a sanitation routine, which will subsequently cause a component associated with the vehicle’s enclosed space to adjust the current environmental condition toward a target environmental condition. The technology is anticipated to bring several benefits to Tesla’s robotaxi service, expected to be unveiled on 8/8, including enhanced passenger safety through automatic sanitization between rides. In addition, the patent is likely to be a key technology for Tesla’s robotaxi service, bringing convenience to vehicle owners and operators, and improving the overall user experience.
Originally, Elon Musk had revealed plans to use Tesla’s $25,000 vehicle, the Model 2 or Model Q, in its Robotaxi fleet. The Cybercab is expected to be a fully autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel, distinguishing it from the highly anticipated Model 2, which is expected to have one.