The Mercedes wiper didn't simply sweep out a circular arc, like most monobladed cars (including IIRC Citroëns); it used a complex gearing system to vary the bla

The Mercedes wiper didn't simply sweep out a circular arc, like most monobladed cars (including IIRC Citroëns); it used a complex gearing system to vary the blade radius to better cover the windshield's corners. Naturally, this over-engineered system was prone to breakage. * Photos and diagrams here: http://www.spannerhead.com/2012/11/28/technical-curiosities-mercedes-monoblade-wiper/ http://www.spannerhead.com/2012/11/28/technical-curiosities-... * A slow-motion video of the wiper in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHtEAMwcWI4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHtEAMwcWI4 * And a couple visualizations of how it works mechanically: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_quBiMLqNoc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_quBiMLqNoc, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdNu113Ep2U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdNu113Ep2U