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Statistics show that an accident is three times more likely to occur at night than during the day, but this figure could be greatly reduced by the arrival of innovative technologies that greatly improve night-time visibility. Valeo offers numerous lighting innovations other than the usual low and main beam functions, offering advanced technological enhancements to the already mature Dynamic Bending Light function (DBL). The first development offers a special low beam function for motorway use. This special adaptation to motorway driving increases visibility by 60 meters, giving the driver an additional 1.7 seconds to react at 130 km/hour. The “motorway” function will be activated automatically at speeds above 11 0 km/hour, or even combined with information from a navigation system. “Motorway” mode is also compatible with DBL function. This technology, which is already allowed in Europe, is available with Halogen, Xenon and LED headlamps.
A more comprehensive solution, “Full AFS,” supplements the DBL function (Adaptive Frontlighting System) with a lighting system that takes a larger number of parameters into account. “Urban” mode, for example, reduces glare for other road users and pedestrians. “Adverse weather” modes for normal roads and motorways concentrate lighting on certain areas of vision, to reduce glare due to reflections from wet road surfaces or fog, for example. The “Full AFS” system will lastly offer a “Tourism” mode that laterally reverses the lighting of right-hand-drive vehicles for driving in countries where one drives on the right side of the road, and vice versa. This change will be activated by the driver or, preferably, automatically by a navigation system.
Valeo is also developing a “Progressive Beam” lighting system that uses a camera to detect the presence of other vehicles. The vehicle’s headlamps can therefore remain in the main beam position and progressively lower the beam as an oncoming vehicle approaches, to avoid glare. The function also takes into account the rear lamps of vehicles driving in the same lane. In an even more innovative development, the camera will detect the road’s gradient and adapt the beam height accordingly, a function particularly useful in bumps and dips. This system is being developed with Xenon or LED headlamps and is due for release by 2010. All of these functions are grouped together under the name BEAMATIC+™.
Lastly, selective lighting will be used to maintain the main beam position of headlamps without dazzling oncoming vehicles, by using a dynamic shield that follows the movements of each vehicle detected by the system.
Yvonnick Gazeau |
