What Are Adaptive Headlights?

The motor industry is evolving at an astonishing rate. The technological revolution has found in the automobile a fertile field for innovations, and in this sense, the search for the best possible lighting for vehicles has generated the idea of ​​adaptable headlights.

What are adaptive headlights

Adaptive headlights are self-regulating light devices, made up of intelligent mechanisms that allow the traffic situation to be detected in order to achieve the most adequate lighting. The light is regulated without the intervention of the driver.

Adaptive headlights work on the basis of devices that connect to specific sectors of the car. Small electric motors, sensors and microchips form the basis of innovation. Connected to them, the headlights move according to vehicle movements and road conditions.

Adaptive headlamp enhancements

1- Lighting in curves

The adaptive headlamp system is particularly favorable for cornering lighting. When a car takes a curve, the traditional straight headlights remain illuminating the exterior of the curve. The interior receives only very dim light.

Instead, adaptive headlights allow the beam of light to illuminate the inside of the curve brightly. A small electric motor connects the headlights to the steering wheel. In this way, the headlights rotate as much as the car and the lights adapt to the movement; the result is very beneficial for visibility.

2- Light height

It is possible for the headlights to regulate the height of the light by means of an automatic system, in order to modulate it in the most convenient way. In this case, sensors are installed on the rear and front axles, which allow the headlight to be adjusted to the height of the vehicle.

This possibility of adapting the light, prevents us from dazzling the drivers who come from the front, especially in undulating terrain.

3- Turn off and on of high beams

The automatisms used in the adaptive headlights also allow the system to detect if a vehicle is coming from the opposite direction.

Normally, it is set at speeds above 70 kilometers per hour.  A sensor is in charge of capturing the light emitted by a vehicle that is moving in the opposite direction, and a microprocessor turns off the high beams so as not to blind the driver coming from the front. Once passed, these lights come on again.

4- Infrared spotlights

The addition of infrared cameras is another interesting and useful innovation. The main headlights, with an infrared filter, emit ultraviolet light, facilitating  night vision that improves with automatic detection of pedestrians, animals or other cars, in which this type of light is reflected, making them more visible to the driver.

5- Everything and more

The most advanced systems bring together all these automatisms, so that the lights are automatically regulated to provide all the benefits permanently.

Constantly,  the electronic system assesses speed, steering wheel turn, vehicle height, presence of other cars on the route and weather factors, adapting the light emitted by the car to any of the circumstances.

The intensity of the light adapts automatically both to the speed of the vehicle, and to the distance of other cars. It adjusts to the most convenient lighting for traveling in the city, in pedestrian areas, in traffic on a highway or on a secondary route. In addition, it activates the special lights for fog and heavy rain.

These complete electronic units can also fulfill a predictive function. Using the information it receives via satellite, it obtains advance information on the route and road conditions, and foresees the necessary adaptations for each moment.

Adaptive headlights: a question of safety

The lighting system of a car is a factor of the first order, and directly influences safety. The regulation and correct maintenance of the lighting system is essential for the driver, being a permanent field of research in which technology occupies a relevant place.

Today, the most advanced adaptive headlamp systems are built into high-end cars. It is estimated that in about 10 to 15 years, they will be devices in common use.