Tesla patent applications reveal that Cybertruck could use facial recognition to adjust climate controls, mirrors, and more

• Tesla patent applications reveal some new features that could make it into the Cybertruck.
• Interior cameras may recognize a driver's face and adjust settings accordingly.
• The truck may also determine where a driver's face is to adjust air conditioning and mirrors.

Tesla revealed the Cybertruck in 2019, but years later, many details about the pickup truck remain unknown.

Now, as the first Cybertruck deliveries near, newly published patent applications offer a glimpse of some of the electric vehicle's potential interior features and solar capabilities.

According to a November 2020 patent application detailing the truck's user experience, the Cybertruck may use internal cameras to automate climate controls and mirror positioning.

One feature could enable the vehicle to determine where a passenger's face is and direct the climate-control vents toward it.

Using facial recognition, the truck may also be able to determine who is driving and pull up the appropriate driver profile and preferences, the filing says.

The document also describes a feature that could locate a driver's eyes and adjust the mirrors accordingly. The truck may also shift the layout of the touchscreen based on whether the driver or front passenger is preparing to use it.

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The application includes grainy images of several different screens a driver might encounter in the Cybertruck. An off-roading screen shows the Cybertruck's pitch and roll side-by-side with various exterior camera views of the trail ahead. Another shows a "camper mode" that apparently allows the driver to control aspects of an attached camper shell - like turning on and off a camping stove - from the touchscreen.

The Cybertruck's electronically operated integrated bed cover was a standout feature when the truck debuted in 2019. And a November 2019 patent application made public Thursday shows how the sectioned cover will roll up into a space behind the truck's rear seats. The document also confirms that Tesla may incorporate solar cells into the cover, something which Musk has tweeted about in the past.

The Cybertruck will likely enter volume production in 2022, Musk said in January. The pickup was originally supposed to go on sale in 2021.