Abstract: A capacitive rain sensor for activating automotive window wipers includes: capacitive plates, electronic circuitry for sensing the capacitance between said plates, processing the sensed capacitance signal, and generating wipe commands. The capacitive plates are protected from water adsorption and condensation by means of a hermetic enclosure. The interconnection between the inside and outside of the enclosure is optionally implemented by means of conductors printed on the window. Wiper-induced and other parasitic signals are rejected by means of an adaptive filter Optional radiation sensor is utilized to suppress solar induced fast temperature variations. An optional far-field cancellation plate is utilized to minimize false wipes due to nearby objects.