[Winger]

JLR is developing wind shield wipers that are controlled by the driver's eyes. The company has been granted a patent called "windscreen clearing system for a vehicle." The rear wipers will trigger each time that the driver looks into his rear view mirror.

The patent also suggests that the technology may also have applications to the front wind shield as well. The patent was awarded this week after being filed in March 2013, and likely makes use of the eye-tracking Monitor System that JLR unveiled earlier this year.

Jaguar Land Rover showed off technology that it is jointly developing with Intel and Seeing Machines that monitors a driver's face and eyes to reduce distracted and drowsy driving at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

 

[Marc]

Just imagine the fun when you're wipers start to work when your eyes are following a beauty on the road and your wife sits besides you!

 

[john]

Just imagine the fun when you're wipers start to work when your eyes are following a beauty on the road and your wife sits besides you!

Haha good point.

One way around that might be to wear sun glasses

At least then the system might not see your eyes... or will it.

 

[Winger]

There definitely could be some funny moments with these. Or they could just be fun to play with. "Look what I can do!"

I wonder how this technology would be applied to the front wipers though. Why would you need to control the front wipers with your eyes?

 

[ATS2XES]

Like rain sense wipers this stuff never works as good as it was intended.

 

[BlackMagic]

Yeah, I totally feel that same way about it. Windshield wipers are such a simple creation I don't see the need to complicate things. So much going on with the technology in cars nowadays you can't even take in the drive.

 

[deluXE]

Like rain sense wipers this stuff never works as good as it was intended.

The rain sensing wipers in my Audi work flawlessly, and they activate exactly on time, without request from the driver. I have been quite impressed with them. I will be disappointed if the XE's wipers are any less functional.

 

[Winger]

I'm sure that the technology gets refined over time. Some companies may be further along in that process than others. i've never felt it to be an inconvenience to turn on the wipers myself though.

 

[john]

The rain sensing wipers in my Audi work flawlessly, and they activate exactly on time, without request from the driver. I have been quite impressed with them. I will be disappointed if the XE's wipers are any less functional.

Some report the sensor picking up the transponder they mount to their windshield and always saying on due to it. Hope jag's aren't like that.

 

[Winger]

Couldn't you just mount the transponder in a different spot on your wind shield in order to prevent that from happening.

 

[john]

Couldn't you just mount the transponder in a different spot on your wind shield in order to prevent that from happening.

That might help but with it still being on the windshield, it's still on the windshield and the sensors job is to monitor the windshield.

 

[Fallout]

I did some extra reading on this and find it pretty interesting now.

The patent notes, rightly, that rear
wipers have some essential problems. On wet roads or in rain,
constant wiping is rarely necessary but intermittent sweeps are often
mistimed, so at the instant you glance in the mirror there’s a good
chance the view through the back screen will be obscured. Cue the
eye-tracking tech …

According to the patent, using JLR’s
system, when your eye moves towards the rear mirror and the rear
wiper is set to "intermittent," the car will automatically give
the screen an extra wipe (provided it hasn’t just done one a moment
before), so it’s sure to be clear at just the moment you need to
see through it.

Jaguars don't even have rear wipers for the most part. Apparently this tech will go on the Land Rover lineup and the upcoming F-Pace SUV.

http://www.gizmag.com/jaguar-land-rover-eye-tracking-wiper/37318/

 

[john]

Good thing it's only limited to those two when it comes to having a rear wiper, hated how back in the days even coupes had rear wipers, thankfully the F-Type coupe doesn't have one.

 

[deluXE]

Good thing it's only limited to those two when it comes to having a rear wiper, hated how back in the days even coupes had rear wipers, thankfully the F-Type coupe doesn't have one.

I have a different opinion -- I find rear wipers to be quite useful in heavy rain and wish they were more commonly fitted to cars in the US.

 

[john]

I have a different opinion -- I find rear wipers to be quite useful in heavy rain and wish they were more commonly fitted to cars in the US.

That is true, I like the functionality but have gotten so used to using my defrosters when appropriate. Plus i line all windows with rainx which helps.

 

[Winger]

That is true, I like the functionality but have gotten so used to using my defrosters when appropriate. Plus i line all windows with rainx which helps.

Is rainx a water resistant thing? I could see that being really useful for wind shields.

I wouldn't say no to the wipers if they come with the car, but i also don't think I would opt for them if I had to pay extra. Some car features that are out these days seem too convenient. I'm capable of flicking a switch for wipers, I don't need eye-controlled automatic ones.

 

[john]

Is rainx a water resistant thing? I could see that being really useful for wind shields.

I wouldn't say no to the wipers if they come with the car, but i also don't think I would opt for them if I had to pay extra. Some car features that are out these days seem too convenient. I'm capable of flicking a switch for wipers, I don't need eye-controlled automatic ones.

Yes it is.

Of course you wouldn't so no to wipers if they came with a car, who in their right mind would even consider removing them?

I can't recall when a wiper was even optional.

 

[deluXE]

Yes it is.

Of course you wouldn't so no to wipers if they came with a car, who in their right mind would even consider removing them?

I can't recall when a wiper was even optional.

Some of the tuners out there will remove the wipers "for a cleaner look". They're fools...

 

[Kingpin]

Some of the tuners out there will remove the wipers "for a cleaner look". They're fools...

Stupid move.

Might even get them a ticket by the local PD.