Rain/water responsive wipers

[videlect]

Has anybody come up with a wiper switch which is turned on by raindrops and switches off as the water is cleard from the activator?

 

[heynav2]

Look back through the early to late 70's & 80's madel year cars from Detriot. As I recal my parents bought a Ford station wagon that had a moisture activted wiper system as a standard option. But cannot remember what year model it was.

 

[hy]

Many current models of Peugeot cars on sale in UK are fitted with an auto wiper system. The sensor is fitted on the inside of the windshield and I believe uses some sort of infra red beam reflection/scatter detection of raindrops on the outer surface. I drove a loan car fitted with such a system, without being aware of it, and was taken by surprise when the wipers started up as I overtook a lorry throwing spray up of the road and was amazed that the speed of the wipers also varied depending on the intensity of the rain/spray.