Have you ever wondered why the headlights of Modern cars are so bright? Well, that’s because the advance headlight system (AHS) is aimed to save lives as it is designed to reduce pedestrian fatalities at night. The Advanced Headlight System (AHS) allows motorists to continue on high beams at all times when driving on dark roads. It blocks off sections of light automatically to avoid either blinding oncoming traffic or vehicles directly ahead while keeping the sides of the road illuminated. This technology is a progressive step over current auto-high beam systems – on cars that include the range-topping model of the new-generation cars that will switch automatically from high to main beam when vehicles ahead are detected.
Advance headlight system involves a shutter in the headlamp unit that engages in specific positions depending on whether the car’s rear-view-mirror-mounted camera has detected a car moving in the opposite direction or on the same lane. If the headlight of the other car is detected, the shutters move to create a temporary ‘black spot’ for that car only until the car has passed – thus, improving night time driving. The shutters will block a different section of the headlamps to avert dazzling a vehicle on the same lane as soon as the camera detects back-lights – but keeping the sides of the road and the opposite lane illuminated. Just the sides of the road will be illuminated with a high beam if there is a car ahead and also an oncoming car.
Impact of installing advance headlight system
The low beam is just a compromise solution between every partial light distribution option. Therefore, the Advanced Headlight System was developed as a dynamic lighting system that will allow for the best possible illumination of the road. If you are ascending a steep hill, it is the same phenomenon; standard headlight beams always point up to the sky instead of staying level with the road. For some moment, you will be enshrined in darkness and unable to see whether another car is coming. The genius of advanced headlight systems is that they move up or down according to the position of the car. They react to the speed, level of the surface, steering radius and then adjust automatically to what the driver is doing and the road conditions ahead. When the driver turns the steering wheel to the left, the headlights respond also by angling to the left.
It is also important to note that advanced headlight systems do not just make your driving safer but also aids other motorists on the road and pedestrians. Let’s return to the scenario where you are turning around a bend on a darkly lit road, but this time an oncoming car is coming your way. As you round the curve, standard headlights would blind the driver temporarily. But with adaptive headlights, this won’t happen because your beams stay on the same level with the road instead of shining a bright light intrusively on the oncoming driver.
Are advanced headlight systems worth it?
Presently, most cars do not come equipped with advanced headlights as most carmakers still treat high-quality headlights as extras rather than essential safety features. “Leather seats and sunroofs are nice but high-quality headlights are also required to avoid hazards.” Conventional headlights illuminate only the area that is straight ahead even when the car goes around a bend or up a steep hill. At night in darkly lit roads and around curves, standard headlights are woefully poor. Also, standard headlights can blind oncoming drivers and pedestrians thereby contributing to unsafe road conditions. Though it is up to drivers to drive attentively and safely, advanced headlights can’t account for people who speed excessively, exercise poor judgment or drive when they are tired, intoxicated or distracted.
Advanced headlights increase driver visibility at night and also illuminate road hazards better and faster than conventional headlights. If the driver has a slow reaction time because he is distracted, the advance headlight system isn’t going to save him/her. Advance headlights system is a game-changer for drivers who approach driving with seriousness and who employ safe driving practices while driving. By increasing visibility at night and in low-light conditions, advanced headlights systems represent an evolution in automobile technology that has the potential to make our roads safer and reduce accidents.
Lighting in cars has evolved from a basic passive feature used in vehicles to aid the driver to see the road clearly in dark conditions to a new function where lighting becomes an active feature that is able to detect oncoming cars and reduce glare. The evolution of lighting technology in cars with increasing resolution gives the opportunity to enable new functionality like projections on the road. Trends toward advanced headlight systems, lighting digitalization and deep integration of advanced sensors will help in enhancing the functional content of headlamps and will bring synergy to the automobile lighting and sensing industry. The Advanced headlight system incorporates features that are interesting to car buyers and legislators. This in conjunction with proper car maintenance will prolong the lifespan of cars. Moreover, it also provides engineers and companies with a great opportunity to manufacture innovative products for advance headlight system (and automobile night-vision systems) applications.