Car wash system

1 . A car wash system for washing a vehicle, the system comprising:

a frame with washing equipment attached thereto, wherein a vehicle being washed and the frame are configured to move relative to each other to change the relative position of the washing equipment and the vehicle;

a driver for driving relative movement between the vehicle and the frame;

a mapping system for at least partially mapping a surface of the vehicle;

a controller configured to:

determine the relative position of the washing equipment and the vehicle based on the mapping of the surface of the vehicle, and

control the driver to position the washing equipment relative to the vehicle based on the calculated relative position; and

wherein the vehicle can be cleaned by changing the relative position of the washing equipment based on the map of the surface;

wherein the mapping system comprises sensors mounted remote from the frame and the washing equipment;

wherein the mapping system comprises one or more LIDAR sensors; and

wherein the one or more LIDAR sensors comprises a front LIDAR sensor for mapping forward facing surfaces of the vehicle and a rear LIDAR sensor for mapping rearward facing surfaces of the vehicle.

2 . The car wash system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the car wash system is a bay-type system and wherein the vehicle remains stationary within a bay and the drive system moves the frame to change the position of the washing equipment relative to the vehicle.

3 . The car wash system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the frame comprises a truck traveling on a track, wherein washing equipment is attached to the truck; and

wherein the drive system drives movement on of the truck on the track to change the position of the washing equipment relative to the vehicle.

4 . The car wash system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the truck comprises at least one swing arm with the washing equipment attached thereto to allow the washing equipment to pivot around corners of the vehicle.

5 . The car wash system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the controller determines an extrapolated profile of the vehicle based on the partial mapping of the surface.

6 . An automated method of washing a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a frame with washing equipment attached thereto, wherein the vehicle and the frame are configured to move relative to each other to change the relative position of the washing equipment and the vehicle;

providing a drive system for driving relative movement between the vehicle and the frame;

electronically mapping at least part of an outer surface of the vehicle;

determining, using a controller, the relative position of the washing equipment and the vehicle based on the mapping of the outer surface of the vehicle; and

changing, by controlling the drive system, the position of the washing equipment relative to the vehicle based on the calculated relative position;

wherein the step of electronically mapping at least part of an outer surface of the vehicle comprises using sensors mounted remote from the frame and the washing equipment, and performing the mapping prior to changing the position of the washing equipment relative to the vehicle;

wherein the step of electronically mapping at least part of an outer surface of the vehicle comprises using one or more LIDAR sensors to perform the electronic mapping; and

wherein the using the one or more LIDAR sensors comprises using a front LIDAR sensor to map forward facing surfaces of the vehicle and using a rear LIDAR sensor to map rearward facing surfaces of the vehicle.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 6 further comprising the step of determining, using the controller, an extrapolated profile of the vehicle based on the partial mapping of the surface.