Model X rear view mirror cable - a solution

[ratsbew]

A lot of people have mentioned the unsightly cable that connects the rear view mirror's built in camera to its power source. Would it not have been possible to have a rechargeable battery in the mirror assembly that is charged from the driver's visor when it is snapped in place? The video data could be transmitted through microscopic traces embedded in clear sticky tape since they don't need to be big enough to carry much current. Another data option would be an IR laser that beams data to a photodiode on the dash.

This is probably the type of thinking that makes cars 2 years late though...

 

[Jeva]

I still don't see the big deal about the cable...if you want an unobstructed view of the sky, get a convertible.

 

[shokunin]

There's a lot that can and will go wrong in that kind of setup. IR transmission is highly sensitive to sunlight, and glaring sun can interrupt the transmission causing the auto pilot feed to fail. Latency and bandwidth is another issue to go wireless, where split second decisions are needed for the autopilot to work reliably. It's a cable, over time, you'll tune it out and probably won't notice it at all. Besides, it provides a path for auxiliary power for dashcams, radar,and other accessories.

Without that cable, I bet people would be complaining on how in the world they are going to be able to power their dash cam or radar detector.

 

[Aljohn]

I would imagine Tesla noted the wire and looked at alternatives. RF or IR would have been an option, but that may have required more testing, validation in various conditions and created another delay. The mirrors most likely are auto dim -- if like my Audi, signals the side views to go to auto dim as well. Not saying it can't be done, but maybe Tesla decided to stop engineering and start building.