Adaptive LED Headlight - Function And Intelligence

Adaptive LED headlights are a functional upgrade to regular car headlights. While the regular headlights have only two modes, the adaptive technology helps these advanced lights change the illumination according to the situation. This helps navigate highways and empty roads at night. The technology is extremely useful for new drivers in the dark.

Mechanism of the Adaptive LED Headlights

Adaptive illumination system in car headlights works by managing the high beam and low beam modes of the car together. Usually the high-beam is used to shine light on the objects that are farther and the low beam highlights the nearby objects. Adaptive lights function in both modes together. They also cover a wider range as multiple headlights are employed at the same time. This makes it easier to identify cars, speed breakers and pedestrians. Here's what happens when:

1. There is a vehicle in front

The area surrounding the vehicle in the front is illuminated by high beams except for the area in front of your car. When the vehicle starts moving nearer, the lights illuminate the areas according to the distance between you and the vehicle ahead. The portion where high beams are turned off also changes when you are on a curve. The adaptive lights dim and brighten accordingly for the best visibility, even at an angle.

2. There is an oncoming vehicle

When a vehicle is approaching from the other side, the high beams keep highlighting the road according to the vehicle. For instance, if a vehicle is approaching from the right, one portion of the lights will illuminate the car and the other portion will illuminate the surrounding road.

Photo Credit: www.bmw.com.bn

How does this technology work? 

Adaptive LED lights have two parts- the stable low beams and the variable high beams. The low beams keep a constant light in front of the vehicle in order to easily view nearby objects. While, the high beams keep modifying their illumination as per the nearby vehicles. Partial illumination and demining of the lights also help avoid glares to the passing vehicle. This improves road safety for you as well oncoming vehicles.

A multi sensor camera placed on the windshield of your car tracks nearby vehicles and objects. Based on the distance and direction of your car, the processing unit of the system determines the areas that need to be illuminated or dimmed near your car.

Adaptive LED lights help the driver to see more objects in their path and take the right action accordingly. Such lights are more powerful and illuminate a wider area. Mechanisms like Adaptive LED lights, Lane Departure warning systems and ProPILOT all help in driving better and more safely.