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Arthur T Knackerbracket [soylentnews.org] writes:

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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story [cnet.com]:

We're well aware of the fact that windshield wipers aren't exactly the sexiest subject when it comes to cars (except the Mercedes mono wiper [youtube.com], because damn), but they're incredibly important and when they don't work, it's a bad time.

If you live in a place that sees freezing temperatures, you likely have had problems with wipers that freeze and windshields that ice up. It's a pain, and even on cars with heated washer systems, it can take ages for them to warm up and start working. Nobody has time for that at 6 a.m. in Detroit in the middle of December, so Ford [cnet.com] came up with a better idea.

The VisioWiper system takes the idea of heated washer jets and builds on them, and it's getting its debut in the Lincoln Aviator [cnet.com]. See, the main thing that sets the VisioWiper apart from other systems is the fact that the wiper blade itself has a heating element in it, and that it also dispenses heated fluid through nozzles integrated into the blade.

This system is especially cool because unlike in a regular vehicle that can take as long as 15 minutes to warm up and start blowing hot air from the defroster, the VisioWiper gets cooking to 86 degrees Fahrenheit in only four minutes.

The VisioWipers are part of Lincoln's [cnet.com] Elements package, which is actually standard on just about everything above the base Aviator, which isn't too bad. If you've gotta save your pennies, but you think these hot, new wipers (pun aggressively intended) are worth some coin, the package will set you back another $1,000 and comes with heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel.

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