Automatic Windshield Wiper Control System using MATLAB

Abstract

This paper discusses the design and simulation of an rain sensor which automatically senses rainfall intensity and controls the speed of the windshield wiper using a PID controller. The system automatically detects intensity of rainfall by means of a simulated sensor which then controls the speed of the wiper motor according to the rain level inputs ensuring quick adaptation to environmental changes. The closed-loop control system is implemented in simulink and the PID controller enhances the precision, ensures system’s stability, and dynamically adjusts speed of the wiper motor resulting in continuous and efficient wiping under fluctuating rain levels.

Introduction

In urban areas, cars are a major cause of road accidents, with driver distractions such as manual windshield wiper adjustments contributing significantly. To reduce this risk, an automatic rain-sensing wiper system was designed and simulated using MATLAB Simulink. The system uses a rain sensor, PID controller, DC motor, and custom logic implemented via MATLAB Function Blocks.

The rain sensor simulates real-world rain intensity using a Gaussian-distributed random number generator, constrained within realistic limits. Based on detected rain intensity, a MATLAB function classifies rainfall into three levels—light, moderate, and heavy—and adjusts the wiper speed accordingly (off, low, medium, high).

The PID controller ensures smooth, accurate control of the DC wiper motor, adjusting speed based on real-time feedback and minimizing system lag. The DC motor's response is modeled using a first-order transfer function G(s) = 1/(s+10), translating control signals into realistic mechanical motion.

A closed-loop system ensures real-time responsiveness and system stability. Simulations show that this design effectively automates wiper control, reduces driver distractions, and enhances road safety.

Historical and Technological Context:

The evolution of wiper systems began with manual mechanisms and progressed to semi-automatic and sensor-based models. Previous innovations include:

• Manual systems (Mary Anderson, 1905)

• Semi-automatic motorized systems (Ormond Wall, 1917)

• Sensor-based systems using optical, piezoelectric, capacitive, impedance sensors, and microcontrollers like Arduino and 8051.

While past designs introduced automation, they often had limitations such as high cost, false triggers, poor adaptability, or required manual activation. The proposed Simulink-based model with PID control addresses these issues by enabling accurate, adaptive, and hands-free operation.

Conclusion

The design and simulation of an automatic windshield wiper system using MATLAB Simulink shows how important automation is for improving driver\'s safety and comfort. By adding a simulated rain sensor with a MATLAB function block combined with a PID-controlled DC motor, the system can automatically change the wiper speed based on the intensity of the rainfall, without manually controlling and adjusting the wiper speed. The use of a closed-loop feedback system, improved by a PID controller, makes sure the system runs in a stable manner without any major fluctuations developed in a way such that it doesn\'t need any manual controlling similar to what is needed in real driving conditions. This project highlights how important role the PID controllers are for accurate speed control of wiper in vehicles. The PID controller helps the wipers to move smoothly between predefined speed levels, making sure that they work well without any delay or error which is very important when the weather changes quickly and could distract the driver. This simulation uses a Random Number block and a Saturation block to copy the random nature of real rainfall. A MATLAB Function Block sorts the speed of wiper based on rain intensity into different levels and chooses the right wiper speed, which makes the system operation more efficient. Also, using a first-order transfer function to model the DC motor makes the motor behavior more efficient. This stops the wiper motor from transforming the speeds too quickly and keeps the change of operation smooth. This simulation model also builds a strong starting point for future upgrades, like using better and advanced sensors, by using any adaptive or fuzzy logic control, or putting the system into real cars with embedded hardware.In short, the project meets its goals by reducing the driver\'s workload, cutting down distractions, and making driving safer. The above mentioned simulation results confirm the design was a good choice and create a strong base for future research into smart and self-driving vehicle systems. Future work can focus on real hardware testing which makes the sensors more reliable. Fine-tuning the controller can also be done for better performance in different weather conditions.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Divya Darsana G., Pradeepa R., Anbarasi M. P.. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.