Hella has recently developed a compact and economical headlight for use as an accessory. Compared to a typical consumption of 100 watts with normal low beam, these headlights consume only 12 watts. The headlights are mounted as additional headlights at the front of the vehicle. When the ignition is switched on, only these headlights are automatically switched on.
Future: light by measure
As important as lighting systems are, their character has remained the same. Limiting themselves to purely lighting functions, in essence, they use information from the on-board network only to control the tilt of the headlights. In the future, lighting technology will be integrated into the vehicle's information and communication system. For new systems to become a reality, new networking solutions are needed. Adjustable headlights and lanterns are being developed that work in accordance with special computer programs. On-board networks are also being designed to meet the requirements for future lighting systems such as pre-dimming headlights, intelligent taillights and adaptive interior lighting.
Project Advanced Frontlighting System (advanced front lighting system) stipulates that the light will be distributed depending on changes in external conditions such as the type and configuration of the road, weather conditions and driving style. Thanks to the time-varying light distribution, the best visibility conditions are ensured without dazzling oncoming drivers. Wherever the driver turns, the light is already focused in the right direction. This system also allows you to set different processes of transition from bright lighting to shaded and vice versa; a wide-angle parking light, a cornering headlight for country roads and a headlight for highways with a long range of vision are becoming a reality.
When approaching an intersection, a wide angle of illumination is provided so that cyclists and pedestrians can be seen in advance. When cornering, conventional systems illuminate predominantly the edges of the road. In the future, it is planned to use a rotary dipped beam, this will illuminate the side area depending on the situation. When controlling the swiveling dipped beam, the system processes sensor signals about the speed of movement and the angle of rotation of the steered wheels. The lighting can already be changed before the start of the turn, by actuating the direction indicators.
Rear lighting, as a means of communication between the driver and the drivers of vehicles moving behind, should be unambiguous and understandable, at the same time, it should not interfere with anyone. Often misused, rear fog lights can be electronically controlled automatically. It turns out an adaptive rear light, the light intensity of the rear light is adjusted depending on the conditions; in fog or rain, the lantern shines brightly, with clear visibility at night - weaker.
In the future, the signals from the anti-lock braking system and the vehicle stability control system will also be processed in order to automatically activate a warning signal in a dangerous situation. Illumination can be measured using a sensor, depending on which you can adjust the rear light, brake light and direction indicator light. At night, a third of the normal level will be used as the eyes adjust to the dark. During the day, due to the bright sunlight, it is supposed to use a light intensity that is three times the light intensity that is used today.
Another direction of development is the use of pollution and visibility sensors integrated into the lights. These sensors will detect fog, splashes, rain, snow and pollution on the diffuser. In addition, the distance and speed of following vehicles will be analyzed and, in combination with other data, this will allow the rear lighting to be adjusted. Matrix taillights with LEDs can be of different shapes and give different light intensity. It is even possible to design lamps of different designs for different equipment options.
Interior lighting provides optimal orientation in the car and thus increases the safety of the car. In addition, it should be part of the overall interior design and create an atmosphere of well-being in the dark. Along with LEDs of various colors, non-glare electroluminescent films, which are already used in aircraft cockpits, can be used as new light sources. In particular, these films are suitable for marking contours, since they form uniformly illuminated stripes. Interior lighting can be adjusted depending on the specific situation.
Headlights
Even without considering future innovations, today's lighting installations are perfect devices, primarily headlights. Headlights contain incandescent lamps of various designs. In addition, fog lamps, rear lamps, rear fog lamps, license plate lamps, and ceiling lamps provide sufficient illumination.
Audi A4 headlight: several reflectors are placed behind the transparent glass
A modern headlight, if possible, should not dazzle oncoming drivers, illuminate the road well even at high speeds and give the car an individual look. The most important parts of a headlamp are the light source, reflector and diffuser, and modern headlights do without a diffuser. The direction indicator is an integral part of the Audi A4 headlight and cannot be changed individually.
Audi headlights use halogen and gas discharge lamps as the light source. Previously, only parabolic reflectors were used, now step reflectors with computer-calculated surfaces, as well as systems with ellipsoidal headlights, are used. Reflectors made of tin or plastic are covered with a thin layer of aluminum, as well as a special layer.
Reflection from segmented surfaces or diffuser?
The legislator for low beams prescribes a special distribution of light with an asymmetric border between light and dark areas, in which the maximum light is concentrated on the right side of the road. To meet this requirement, a diffuser is usually used, which is equipped on the inside with cylindrical lenses, prisms and parallel surfaces. Parallel surfaces distribute the light reflected from the reflector in the corresponding direction.
However, in Audi, the glass in front of the headlight is completely transparent, that is, it serves only for protection and is not a diffuser in the proper sense of the word. Glass is made of plastic, as plastic is ten times more resistant to stone impacts than glass. A hard coat of lacquer is used to protect against scratches. A headlight of this design is about half a kilogram lighter than a conventional headlight.
Refusal to use a diffuser became possible thanks to headlights with several reflective surfaces. These headlights produce a precisely defined light cone without lenses or prisms. The optimal shape of the reflector is calculated using a computer using special mathematical formulas. Certain segments of the reflector correspond to precisely defined sections of the road. Due to the fact that this allowed shorter focal lengths to be achieved, the space that used to house a conventional parabolic reflector now houses three separate reflectors for low beam, high beam and fog light. At the same time, efficiency increases. lights.
Fog lights with ellipsoid reflector
The reflector, which has the shape of a three-axis ellipse, allows you to achieve high power with a small headlamp. Such headlights function like overhead projectors: the aperture, which plays the role of a slide, limits the distribution of light and provides a border between light and dark areas. This border is especially sharp, so this technique is very well suited for fog lights. The function of the lens is performed by the lens, it projects the distribution of light on the road. Recently, polyellipsoidal systems have been developed.
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