General Motors has invented a technology that just might enable us to have infotainment screens not smeared with fingerprints, Autoevolution reports citing a patent application. The same goes for dust and other kinds of dirt.
The team behind the patent propose putting another transparent layer on top of the screen, which would have photocatalytic properties. The latter would enable the layer to attract water molecules from the ambient air and turn them into free radicals, efficiently cleaning the surface of oil and sweat marks, as well as bacteria and dust.
The photocatalytic process requires the ultraviolet light from the sun to be available, limiting the application to sunny days. To combat this, the researchers suggest adding microdiodes to the screen to irradiate it with UV light. Users could run the cleaning routine by a schedule or starting it remotely from their smartphones.
It is unknown when (or whether, as is the case with most patents) the technology may be made available for the mass market.