jabloomf1230
Minister of Silly Walks
In earlier cars, the wipers used a moisture sensor located at the outside bottom of the windshield and as water dripped down, a moisture sensor was activated. More recent non-Tesla cars use an infrared LED combined with a sensor that is located on the inside of the windshield, directly in front of the interior rearview mirror. The more light from the LED that is scattered by the rain, the faster the wipers sweep. Another system uses an ultrasonic sensor that measures the vibration of the windshield cause by the impact of rain drops.
I have never read how the Tesla wiper system works, but it probably uses one (or more) of the front cameras to determine how much rain is blurring the vision system.
The problem with all these approaches is that they use a sensor in a fixed location. And none of them have a sensor that is located in the driver's field of vision. All the present systems adapt slowly to changing moisture conditions and none in my opinion are a perfect substitute for manual control of the wipers.
I have never read how the Tesla wiper system works, but it probably uses one (or more) of the front cameras to determine how much rain is blurring the vision system.
The problem with all these approaches is that they use a sensor in a fixed location. And none of them have a sensor that is located in the driver's field of vision. All the present systems adapt slowly to changing moisture conditions and none in my opinion are a perfect substitute for manual control of the wipers.