Rain Tracker (model RT-50) is the result of years of research, and experience with hundreds of different wiper systems. This is a complete kit, with everything you need to upgrade almost any car, truck, or van to hands-free wipers. It senses rain, sleet, snow, mist or road spray hitting your windshielf, and automatically runs your wipers at just the right speed. You don't have to take your hands off the wheel, or constantly adjust the speed of your wipers as road conditions change. Rain Tracker does it all for you, making driving safer & easier.

• Tiny sensor (1.75" x 1.75" or 45mm x 45mm) on inside surface of windshield
• One model fits most cars, trucks, and vans
• Manual wiper control is not affected
• Full range for operation from off through intermittent, slow, and fast speeds
• Installs easily - ties into the existing wiper system with just a few wires
• Senses all kinds of precipitation - rain, mist, snow, sleet or road spray
• Get the same luxury as high-end cars
• Indispensable in mobility-enabled applications
• Differentiate your vehicle from the crowd
• Proven quality & technology

How The Rain Tracker Reduces Driver Distraction
The Rain Tracker uses beams of infrared light to sense how much water hits the windshield. It constantly adjusts the speed of the wipers so that they run just often enough to keep the windshield clear-- from all the way off to (most applications) high speed. This frees the driver from that task, reducing driver distraction. And driver distractions is the cause of 26% of all fatal crashes, says NHTSA. The tiny (1.75" X 1.75") Rain Tracker™ automotive rain sensor mounts on the inside surface of the windshield, behind the rearview mirror

"Along with the ease of installation, another factor that has allowed Rain Tracker to bring its product to the aftermarket is its size. Whereas most factory rain sensors are glued to the windshield, and, even those with removable couplers have to be attached by the windshield manufacturer, the Rain Tracker sensor can be affixed at the dealer, because it is only 1-3/4 inch square" - AutoMedia magazine

How it works
The sensor shines beams of infrared light into the windshield, and the beams bounce off of the outside surface. Water on the surface of the windshield disturbs the beams. Sophisticated circuitry and software detect the disturbances, even in the presence of large amounts of ambient light and other noise, and communicate the information to the control module. The control module uses a patented technique that is designed to mimic human perception, and actuate the wipers just as a driver would.

The Rain Tracker sensor snaps into a coupler that bonds permanently to the windshield. Field service is greatly simplified: if the windshield should break, the sensor can be put on a new windshield with a new coupler. The simple, one-piece, single material design discourages the formation of air-bubbles.

The Rain Tracker sensor communicates with the vehicle wiper system using a simple three-wire interface, consisting of ground, digital signal, and power.

True, the Rain Tracker licenses some of the same technology that is in use in many new-car rain sensors worldwide, but we have taken the technology further. We've taken advantage of recent improvements in tiny computers to miniaturize it, and designed a revolutionary new optical system. The result of our efforts: the Rain Tracker resulted in five new patent applications, and is 5.4 times smaller than many production rain sensors!

FAQ
What about car washes?
Turn the Rain Tracker OFF before cleaning the windshield, servicing the wipers, or entering a car wash.

What if a bug hits my windshield?
If you leave your Rain Tracker in rain sensing mode all of the time, once in awhile a bug will hit your windshield right at the sensor. This will trigger the wipers. It can be months between such times. Still, we recommend that drivers leave the Rain Tracker off on dry days, to prevent any unexpected wipes.

Will snow trigger the Rain Tracker?
The Rain Tracker sensor will detect wet snow that sticks to the windshield, and run the wipers appropriately. Cold, dry snow will blow off the windshield without sticking to it. This does not need to be cleared, and will not trigger the sensor.

Will the Rain Tracker automatically run my washer motor?
No. The washer is left under manual control.

What about road spray?
The Rain Tracker will sense road spray, just as it senses a light mist. The sensor does not, however, have any way of knowing how dirty the water is. If you are getting a lot of muddy road spray, you may want to turn the sensitivity down to keep the Rain Tracker from wiping too much and smearing the windshield. With the RT-50, your intermittent wipers still work, too.

What if my windshield breaks?
The sensor snaps into a coupler that bonds permanently to your windshield. If your windshield should break, you can put the sensor on a new windshield with a new coupler.

Is the Rain Tracker hard to install?
No. An experienced Do-It-Yourselfer or your favorite qualified service technician will find installing the Rain Tracker a straightforward task. See pictures from a typical installation get an idea of what is involved.

This sounds like a great idea. Why aren't rain sensors commonplace?
Actually, they are. About 9% of all new vehicles sold worldwide in 2002 have rain sensing wipers. Shouldn't you be enjoying the safety of hands-free wipers?