Stretch and Twist to Shed'em Off: Self-Cleaning Shields for Sensors by Soft but Tough Materials

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Sensors that operate in harsh environment, such as optical and radiowave sensors operating in autonomousvehicles become obsolete frequently by fouling conditions, including mud, clay, and ice slush. Extremeweather condition in Alberta, such as snowy condition in Winter and muddy condition in Spring, aggravatesthe situation drastically. While many anti-fouling methods have been commercially available, these methodsare not suitable for icy/muddy/slushy fouling condition in Alberta. For example, marine fouling is mitigated byelectrolytic system, chemical dosing, ultrasonic system, and electro-chlorination, but these are not applicable.Aircrafts are protected from ice by spraying a layer of protective liquid, whose thickness lasts for each flight.But, the formula is specifically for anti-icing. Recently developed technology of nanostructured surfacecoatings may provide non-sticking condition against ice and other contaminants, but its effect is usuallytemporary because the nanostructures wear off easily. In addition, applying coating directly on the surface ofsensor may not be a good choice because replacing will be difficult even when the coating is no longereffective. Our proposed method of 'shield that is capable of stretching and twisting' strategy is a customized ideal methodto remove clay and ice slush fouling that is omnipresent in Alberta. The fouling contaminants in Alberta are tobe deposited thicker and stickier than most other fouling materials, yet they are granular in nature. The infusedoil layer provides a physical barrier between the solid part of the shield and the fouling agents. Water jet can beused to remove contaminants from the oily surface. For persistent contaminants, the 'stretch and twist'complimented by ultrasonic shedding will allow a complete removal at low energy consumption. We anticipatethat our idea of 'shield' will be useful to protect the sensors in automotive vehicles, as well as in any outdooruses.