Systems, vehicles, and methods for automatically deploying a windshield wiper blade to a deployed position

A vehicle for automatically deploying a windshield wiper blade to a deployed position, the vehicle comprising:

• a vehicle windshield;
• a windshield wiper blade configured to be moved between an un-deployed position in which the windshield wiper blade is in contact with the vehicle windshield and a deployed position in which the windshield wiper blade is spaced apart from the vehicle windshield;
• one or more processors;
• an actuator coupled to the windshield wiper blade and configured to selectively deploy the windshield wiper blade to the deployed position in which the windshield wiper blade is spaced apart from the vehicle windshield, wherein the actuator is communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;
• one or more optical sensors communicatively coupled to the one or more processors that output an optical signal;
• and
• one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors that store logic that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
• receive the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors;
• detect whether an accumulation of a substance has formed on the vehicle windshield based on the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors;
• and
• deploy, with the actuator, the windshield wiper blade to the deployed position in which the windshield wiper blade is spaced apart from the vehicle windshield in response to detecting the accumulation of the substance.

A method to automatically deploy a windshield wiper blade to a deployed position, the method comprising:

• receiving an optical signal output from one or more optical sensors;
• detecting whether an accumulation of a substance has formed on a vehicle windshield based on the optical signal output by the one or more optical sensors;
• and
• deploying, with an actuator, the windshield wiper blade to the deployed position in which the windshield wiper blade is spaced apart from the vehicle windshield in response to detecting the accumulation of the substance.