BMW Concept i8 Laser Lights
In the light of recent publications ( Volvo technology, Mercedes technology ), Habr's readers were asked to tell more detailed information about the technological innovations of the automotive industry. It seems to me that one of the most interesting and promising developments at the moment is laser headlights from BMW.
In September 2011, BMW introduced a new technology for car headlights based on the use of blue lasers. This technology was first used on the BMW i8, which was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009. In the headlamp, not one but three lasers are used at once, there are 12 of them in the car - 3 in each of the 2 headlight sections. To understand how this technology works, look at the diagram.
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Three lasers (A) are mounted on a triangular shape and shine on small mirrors (B), which redirect the beam to the lens (C). Inside the lens (C) is yellow phosphorus, which, under the influence of a blue laser, emits bright white light. This light emitted from phosphorus is redirected by the lens to the reflector (D), which throws light 180 degrees on the road in front of the car. The insides of the headlights are created in a special way so that all the created light is reflected on the surface in front of the car. At the top right of the photo you can see how one of the 6 lasers works, even though its beam is blocked by a card. Note that this configuration is only one of the possible and you can make headlights of almost any size and shape.
In this photo you can see how the lights work at full capacity. BMW claims that these headlights are 1000 times brighter than diode headlights, which are used now, but use only half the brightness to reduce the electricity consumption of a car. Also, company representatives say that the service life of the headlights is at least 10,000 hours, the same as that of the LED headlights. What is important, the ability to change the size of headlamps will allow designers to more freely create the shape of headlights and their size.
Of course, the first thing we know about lasers is that they should not be sent to anyone in the eyes in order not to damage the retina. With these headlights it is simply impossible, BMW asks not to worry. The laser is dangerous because its light is very concentrated and focused. The light produced by yellow phosphorus is not the same, but in order to prove this, the BMW engineer looked directly into the beam of light created by the headlights and invited journalists to do the same. Despite the fact that the headlights are very bright, neither the author of the text nor anyone else was hurt by this demonstration.
It also excludes the possibility that the headlights may set fire to objects in front of the car (despite the fact that the engineer set fire to the incense stick from one of the car’s lasers to demonstrate its power) for the same reason. The light produced by the headlamp is not a laser beam based on the different nature of the light itself. If you are afraid of lasers that fly out of the headlamp in an accident and start destroying everything around - do not worry, BMW took care of this, in case of an accident, as well as with xenon headlights - the power supply to the headlights is immediately turned off.
BMW also did not miss the opportunity to introduce a new technology Dynamic LightSpot system, which highlights pedestrians who are on your way. On the technical model, which we were shown these spotlights were built into the installation place protivotumanok and driven by a system similar to the adaptive cornering lights. The system uses the same technology that is used in the BMW night vision system, which uses infrared sensors and cameras to recognize a person by body temperature and silhouette.
If the night-vision camera marks a pedestrian with an icon on the display of the entertainment system, the LightSpot system is more active and will illuminate the pedestrian with a single beam from the place of the fog light. Since there are two foglights in the car, the car can track two pedestrians at once, and it can also drive a pedestrian crossing the road in the dark in front of you.
In order not to be distracted by pedestrians who do not interfere with the movement of the car, the system has a fairly narrow field of view. The computer monitors all pedestrians that are in front of the car, but the system will highlight only those that will intersect with the trajectory of the car or there will be a threat of crossing this trajectory. BMW claims that the system can move the beam faster than any person can run, so you will not be able to run away from the beam. True, in BMW they say that the system is still experiencing difficulties on serpentines, where the car constantly changes its trajectory. That is why it is still a prototype. And yet, the company says that this system greatly simplifies the life of drivers and allows you to see pedestrians on average 34 meters earlier than without it. Oncoming drivers will also be spared from any glare, because the BMW has an Active High Beam system that monitors the oncoming traffic and will not allow the blinded drivers.
So far, both systems are prototypes. Dynamic LightSpot comes to the consumer first, even though BMW does not say when. But perhaps the time will come when laser headlights will become as common as halogen or xenon headlights are common today.
In September 2011, BMW introduced a new technology for car headlights based on the use of blue lasers. This technology was first used on the BMW i8, which was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009. In the headlamp, not one but three lasers are used at once, there are 12 of them in the car - 3 in each of the 2 headlight sections. To understand how this technology works, look at the diagram.
')
Three lasers (A) are mounted on a triangular shape and shine on small mirrors (B), which redirect the beam to the lens (C). Inside the lens (C) is yellow phosphorus, which, under the influence of a blue laser, emits bright white light. This light emitted from phosphorus is redirected by the lens to the reflector (D), which throws light 180 degrees on the road in front of the car. The insides of the headlights are created in a special way so that all the created light is reflected on the surface in front of the car. At the top right of the photo you can see how one of the 6 lasers works, even though its beam is blocked by a card. Note that this configuration is only one of the possible and you can make headlights of almost any size and shape.
In this photo you can see how the lights work at full capacity. BMW claims that these headlights are 1000 times brighter than diode headlights, which are used now, but use only half the brightness to reduce the electricity consumption of a car. Also, company representatives say that the service life of the headlights is at least 10,000 hours, the same as that of the LED headlights. What is important, the ability to change the size of headlamps will allow designers to more freely create the shape of headlights and their size.
Of course, the first thing we know about lasers is that they should not be sent to anyone in the eyes in order not to damage the retina. With these headlights it is simply impossible, BMW asks not to worry. The laser is dangerous because its light is very concentrated and focused. The light produced by yellow phosphorus is not the same, but in order to prove this, the BMW engineer looked directly into the beam of light created by the headlights and invited journalists to do the same. Despite the fact that the headlights are very bright, neither the author of the text nor anyone else was hurt by this demonstration.
It also excludes the possibility that the headlights may set fire to objects in front of the car (despite the fact that the engineer set fire to the incense stick from one of the car’s lasers to demonstrate its power) for the same reason. The light produced by the headlamp is not a laser beam based on the different nature of the light itself. If you are afraid of lasers that fly out of the headlamp in an accident and start destroying everything around - do not worry, BMW took care of this, in case of an accident, as well as with xenon headlights - the power supply to the headlights is immediately turned off.
BMW also did not miss the opportunity to introduce a new technology Dynamic LightSpot system, which highlights pedestrians who are on your way. On the technical model, which we were shown these spotlights were built into the installation place protivotumanok and driven by a system similar to the adaptive cornering lights. The system uses the same technology that is used in the BMW night vision system, which uses infrared sensors and cameras to recognize a person by body temperature and silhouette.
If the night-vision camera marks a pedestrian with an icon on the display of the entertainment system, the LightSpot system is more active and will illuminate the pedestrian with a single beam from the place of the fog light. Since there are two foglights in the car, the car can track two pedestrians at once, and it can also drive a pedestrian crossing the road in the dark in front of you.
In order not to be distracted by pedestrians who do not interfere with the movement of the car, the system has a fairly narrow field of view. The computer monitors all pedestrians that are in front of the car, but the system will highlight only those that will intersect with the trajectory of the car or there will be a threat of crossing this trajectory. BMW claims that the system can move the beam faster than any person can run, so you will not be able to run away from the beam. True, in BMW they say that the system is still experiencing difficulties on serpentines, where the car constantly changes its trajectory. That is why it is still a prototype. And yet, the company says that this system greatly simplifies the life of drivers and allows you to see pedestrians on average 34 meters earlier than without it. Oncoming drivers will also be spared from any glare, because the BMW has an Active High Beam system that monitors the oncoming traffic and will not allow the blinded drivers.
So far, both systems are prototypes. Dynamic LightSpot comes to the consumer first, even though BMW does not say when. But perhaps the time will come when laser headlights will become as common as halogen or xenon headlights are common today.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/190676/
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