There's not a lot more irritating than coming head-on with some jerk's high beams on a dark road. Or having that jerk's high beams in your rear-view mirror for miles and miles on end. The only thing more annoying that we can think of is having to turn off your high beams when some jerk tries to use the same roadway you want lit up like Dodger Stadium.
Sure, some car makers -- like Ford 20 years ago -- have light sensors that automatically flip the lights from brights to lows when it sees an oncoming car. But that's a low-tech light sensor. Booooring. High end cars can't have that. Or at least that's what Beamatic Premium headlight maker Ichikon Industries hopes.
Ichikon's BeamAtic uses cameras to track and analyze the location of other vehicles on the road and then, via a system of diffusers, block the high-beam from illuminating the other vehicle while still letting them see the low-beams.
No word as to how this system handles multiple vehicles or how it's any better than simply dimming the lights when other vehicles are around.
( TechOn )
dg0472 says:
12:59 PM, 09/ 1/10
Gee, you can see farther and the oncoming driver gets the benefit of light your car casts to the side. Hmm, nope, no benefit there that I can see.
firstwagon says:
02:00 PM, 09/ 1/10
As an oncoming driver, I don't need the benefit of the light from another car. I do need to be able to see past the huge candlepower of some of todays lights without being blinded.
If this system works then fine but it's still better to leave your lights on low unless you are on a deserted hwy.
If you can't see far enough on low beams then you are going too fast.
mark19 says:
03:39 PM, 09/ 1/10
okay so it modifies your light beam in front of the car. Wasn't the idea of high beams to illuminate everything in front of the car? I agree someone whos a moron and has their highs on is not only annoying but dangerous. (blind oncoming traffic, see accident next)
back to this headlight, it's fun technology but what happens when something happens to the car in that dark area not lit up by your lights? will you really see what happened? deer coming out hitting car, etc..
flicmod says:
05:51 AM, 09/ 2/10
I want to know how this system differentiates between oncoming traffic and and cars you are passing on a four-lane+ highway situation. The problem I see if there's no differentiation is that motorists tend to use other vehicles headlights to gauge where they are during night driving. If I'm in either lane and I'm passing someone, there's a good chance with this system that that person may lose sight of my car completely when I enter his blind spot. Especially considering how big some of the blind spots are on CUV's, SUV's, and some wagons.
Also, I see this working pretty well where there is limited traffic. But imagine if there's a long string of cars coming at your (or are all around you on a highway scenario). Your lights would virtually be shut off on one side of the car. This could cause some problems in city scenarios with pedestrians, or rural scenarios with animals, and it generally gives you LESS vision on the whole.
Personally, I see this as more of a hindering technology than anything. Interesting idea, but I don't believe this is the direction we should be going to solve this rather minor problem.
audisport says:
12:44 PM, 09/ 2/10
Like I don't have enough issues with the AFS xenon's in my car. One headlamp shooting high in the air, one at normal height. CHECK!
Let's add some more crap that we don't need.
DLu says:
08:40 PM, 10/16/10
"If you can't see far enough on low beams then you are going too fast." +1
Mark19 brings a good point -- this seems dangerous when it comes to big animals that you really need the high beam sometimes to detect and avoid.