As the world becomes more and more connected, it’s no surprise that cars are becoming smarter. Smart headlights are a recent addition to the automotive landscape, and they could soon become a standard feature on most vehicles. Smart headlights are essentially a computer-controlled light system that can be controlled by your smartphone. They use sensors to track your car’s movement and position, as well as your surroundings, to create a personalized light show that is tailored to your driving needs. The benefits of smart headlights are clear: they save you time and money on car repairs, they improve visibility in lowlight conditions, and they provide an extra level of safety when driving at night. If you’re thinking about adding smart headlights to your vehicle, there are a few things you need to consider. First, make sure you have the right type of smart headlight system for your vehicle. There are several types of smart headlights available on the market: LED lights with or without sensors, Bluetooth enabled lights with or without voice control, and even self-driving capabilities if you want to use them in conjunction with an autonomous car system. Second, make sure you have the right size for your vehicle. Smart headlights require a larger light bulb than traditional headlights (usually around 6 inches), so they won’t fit into many small cars or SUVs. You’ll also need to find a place in your car where you can mount them (usually near the front bumper). Finally, be sure to get compatible drivers’ licenses and insurance cards before installing the system. Many automakers offer free installation services for their customers who meet certain requirements such as owning a driver’s license or having insurance coverage for vehicles with intelligent systems.
In the ruling, the NHTSA said, “This document amends NHTSA’s lighting standard to permit the certification of adaptive driving beam (ADB) headlamps. ADB headlamps utilize technology that actively modifies a vehicle’s headlamp beams to provide more illumination while not glaring other vehicles. The requirements adopted today are intended to amend the lighting standard to permit this technology and establish performance requirements for these systems to ensure that they operate safely.”
The rules previously stated that vehicles needed to have binary lights that switched between high and low beams in the US. Adaptive Driving Beams, which are now legal, feature a range of levels that can adapt to specific driving conditions based on the current situation.
These more modern headlights have automated beamforming, which is controlled by a computer that aims lights in different directions. These could allow them to cast brighter lights right in front of the car while dimming them on the sides to not blind oncoming drivers as much.
The key stumbling block for getting these smart headlights approved was that the NHTSA wanted to ensure they wouldn’t be brighter than current lower beams. After testing, it appears that Adaptive Driving Beams are better at not blinding oncoming drivers, leading to their approval.
It’ll take some time before we see cars in the US with these headlights, but this is an excellent step in the direction of getting safer lights on the road.
