The unique features of Nidec Instruments’ latest coat include:
- Newly developed hydrophilic coating on the surface of lens unit’s outermost lens;
- High-resistance hydrophilia with a contact angle of 45° or less; and
- Hydrophilia that recovers in a fair, outdoor environment (illumination intensity: 1mW/cm2 (365nm))
The surrounding view camera units on a car’s front and rear sections and on its both sides catch the wind while the car is running. Among other devices, the camera units installed on a car’s front, back, and sides employ a large amount of coat that repels water strongly when the cameras are hit by the wind, enabling to provide clear images. On the other hand, the camera installed on the back of a vehicle, is less likely to face the wind, causing raindrop to stay long on the camera’s surface, and generating concerns for fuzzy images and other types of erroneous detection.
Camera, uncoated, without water droplet
Camera, with water repellent coating, with water droplet (in a windless condition)
Camera, with hydrophilic coating, with water droplet (in a windless condition)
With Nidec Instruments’ latest hydrophilic coat, raindrop on a lens is less likely to become stilliform, and spreads over the lens’ surface instead. This is why the coat can mitigate raindrop’s effects on projected images from the rear camera, which is insulated from the effects of wind. In addition, this hydrophilic coat boasts a very high durability, as the product’s performance recovers with the help of ultraviolet light even when the hydrophilia decreases due to smear, etc. While enriching Nidec Instruments’ product lineup, this newly developed hydrophilic coat will enable our customers to choose water-repellent or hydrophilic coat freely based on their diverse usage.
