Headlights
10-28-2004, 10:14 PM
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New Technology Coming
Lighting researchers expect NHTSA to look at ways to specify beam patterns that will allow coming technology. An example: Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are often the bead-like headlamps making such an impression on today's concept cars. Fundamentally different than conventional headlamps that use filaments or a gas, LEDs utilize semiconductors to release electrical energy in the form of light.
Not only do LEDs free auto stylists from previous headlamp designs, LED lights are often lighter in weight than conventional headlamps and much more durable. Estimates are they could last the life of a vehicle.
Indeed, this is what Aui officials said in introducing the first car in the world equipped with LED daytime driving lights at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show. The LED lights on the top, 12-cylinder Audi A8 6.0 quattro use so little power, they don't impact fuel consumption the way cars with regular lights do, officials said.
Since a compact group of LEDs arranged in a very small, innovative headlamp can produce a great amount of light, there's also concern about glare, if the lights were to be used for night-time headlamps, said Ralph Hitchcock, consultant to American Honda Motor Co. in Washington.
Digital Lighting
There also is a need to review so-called adaptive front lighting (AFS) that's already appearing on vehicles. Adaptive lights aren't fixed; they can change their beam pattern and/or move to the side, as the steering wheel is turned, to illuminate a corner or curve in the road, for example.
The Lexus RX 330 and LS 430 have this swivel-light feature, and Nissan has developed a similar system in Japan. The Lexus swivel system is more high tech than that pioneered on the Tucker Torpedo of 1948. Lexus uses a central controller to calculate the optimum lighting direction, taking note of speed and steering angle. Right and left headlights swivel independently, and there's an "off" switch for the feature to be turned off. But some safety officials worry the swiveling of lights might confuse other drivers who are accustomed to recognizing vehicles on the road from their fixed lights.
Another new headlight technology under study is headlight beams in digital format that are controlled by a computer. "Instead of talking about a lot of light all over [the road], we want to put smart light out where you need the light," said Mahendra Dassanayake, staff technical specialist at Ford Motor Co.
Thus, he foresees a "pixilated device" that can create beam patterns on the road ahead for drivers. "It would work like a laptop computer, projecting images," he said.
"You could use a pixilated device that could project a multitude of beams" and the beam patterns would vary, depending on the positioning of the steering wheel, lateral acceleration of the vehicle, speed, even the kind of weather that is detected, Dassanayake said.
A pixilated device also could tailor "the correct amount of light and in the correct color content" to reduce glare, he added. "We want to create light on an as-needed basis."
Indeed, some automakers are looking at whether they could develop headlamps that are lightly tinted to a color that's proprietary. This would allow other drivers to not only know that a car is approaching, but by the headlamp color, they would know if the car is, say, a Ford, Toyota or Pontiac.
Challenges Ahead
Lighting researchers expect NHTSA to look at ways to specify beam patterns that will allow coming technology. An example: Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are often the bead-like headlamps making such an impression on today's concept cars. Fundamentally different than conventional headlamps that use filaments or a gas, LEDs utilize semiconductors to release electrical energy in the form of light.
Not only do LEDs free auto stylists from previous headlamp designs, LED lights are often lighter in weight than conventional headlamps and much more durable. Estimates are they could last the life of a vehicle.
Indeed, this is what Aui officials said in introducing the first car in the world equipped with LED daytime driving lights at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show. The LED lights on the top, 12-cylinder Audi A8 6.0 quattro use so little power, they don't impact fuel consumption the way cars with regular lights do, officials said.
Since a compact group of LEDs arranged in a very small, innovative headlamp can produce a great amount of light, there's also concern about glare, if the lights were to be used for night-time headlamps, said Ralph Hitchcock, consultant to American Honda Motor Co. in Washington.
Digital Lighting
There also is a need to review so-called adaptive front lighting (AFS) that's already appearing on vehicles. Adaptive lights aren't fixed; they can change their beam pattern and/or move to the side, as the steering wheel is turned, to illuminate a corner or curve in the road, for example.
The Lexus RX 330 and LS 430 have this swivel-light feature, and Nissan has developed a similar system in Japan. The Lexus swivel system is more high tech than that pioneered on the Tucker Torpedo of 1948. Lexus uses a central controller to calculate the optimum lighting direction, taking note of speed and steering angle. Right and left headlights swivel independently, and there's an "off" switch for the feature to be turned off. But some safety officials worry the swiveling of lights might confuse other drivers who are accustomed to recognizing vehicles on the road from their fixed lights.
Another new headlight technology under study is headlight beams in digital format that are controlled by a computer. "Instead of talking about a lot of light all over [the road], we want to put smart light out where you need the light," said Mahendra Dassanayake, staff technical specialist at Ford Motor Co.
Thus, he foresees a "pixilated device" that can create beam patterns on the road ahead for drivers. "It would work like a laptop computer, projecting images," he said.
"You could use a pixilated device that could project a multitude of beams" and the beam patterns would vary, depending on the positioning of the steering wheel, lateral acceleration of the vehicle, speed, even the kind of weather that is detected, Dassanayake said.
A pixilated device also could tailor "the correct amount of light and in the correct color content" to reduce glare, he added. "We want to create light on an as-needed basis."
Indeed, some automakers are looking at whether they could develop headlamps that are lightly tinted to a color that's proprietary. This would allow other drivers to not only know that a car is approaching, but by the headlamp color, they would know if the car is, say, a Ford, Toyota or Pontiac.
Challenges Ahead
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