The Universal Pictures film Flash of Genius is based on the true story of Robert Kearns, the inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper. The movie is an adaptation of a 1993 article, written for The New Yorker magazine, about Kearns' struggle to win patent infringement lawsuits against the Ford Motor Company and Chrysler.Cinematical: Greg Kinnear Will Lead Flash of Genius (June 15, 2007)
About Robert Kearns
Robert Kearns obtained a degree in engineering from the University of Detroit and a doctorate from Case Western Reserve University. He was a former student and professor at Wayne State University. In 1967, Kearns received a patent for his windshield wiper design, which paused between swipes. He spent much of his adult life embroiled in lawsuits against the automobile companies that used his invention without his consent. He won millions of dollars from Ford Motor Company and Chrysler for patent infringement.The Auto Channel: Robert Kearns, Inventor... (February 25, 2005)
Kearns died of cancer at the age of 77.The Auto Channel: Robert Kearns, Inventor... (February 25, 2005)
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Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber and Michael Lieber
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