Matrix Headlights Approved in US

[Neil4Real]

My concern with these - I see auto high beams not get it quite right all the time, not really looking forward to these matrix headlights where the idea is the high beam doesn't go off and instead the car is 'smart' and can figure out which LEDs to disable to not blind oncoming drivers.

Ditto for whether these systems even recognize pedestrians and cyclists, or whether they will have to get used to being blinded by 'smart' matrix headlamps going forward.

I mean, these have been around for sometime now in the EU, so it isn't like they're starting fresh with this tech. We, thankfully, weren't the guinea pigs for this one. They actually work super well.

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[ARK]

I mean, these have been around for sometime now in the EU, so it isn't like they're starting fresh with this tech. We, thankfully, weren't the guinea pigs for this one. They actually work super well.

Do they? My personal experience is that lots of cars have trouble handling auto high beams, this seems much more complex than even that.

I live in an area with lots of curvy roads and a lack of street lights, so you really feel the blinding light with auto highbeams not turning off when they are supposed to.

I would think seeing other cars at intersections or passing them on a road wouldn’t be where systems like this run into trouble.

 

[Neil4Real]

Do they? My personal experience is that lots of cars have trouble handling auto high beams, this seems much more complex than even that.

I live in an area with lots of curvy roads and a lack of street lights, so you really feel the blinding light with auto highbeams not turning off when they are supposed to.

I would think seeing other cars at intersections or passing them on a road wouldn’t be where systems like this run into trouble.

There are lots of videos on how these work on EU cars, the technology behind these working is vastly superior to how auto high beams work, which is just a light sensor that controls them on or off. On that note, I've never had an issue with my auto high beams on any of my cars, if anything they're too sensitive at turning off to make sure they don't blind anyone.

 

[ARK]

There are lots of videos on how these work on EU cars, the technology behind these working is vastly superior to how auto high beams work, which is just a light sensor that controls them on or off. On that note, I've never had an issue with my auto high beams on any of my cars, if anything they're too sensitive at turning off to make sure they don't blind anyone.

I suppose we will see. I found this thread on an Audi forum.

 

[Neil4Real]

I suppose we will see. I found this thread on an Audi forum.

From 4/4 and a half years ago? I would extremely hope the technology has gotten better in that time lol.

 

[ARK]

From 4/4 and a half years ago? I would extremely hope the technology has gotten better in that time lol.

I would think so too, but if it wasn’t all that good back then, what’s changed that everything will be perfect now.

Also, I’d assume like with auto highbeams, quality will vary between manufacturers. I’d expect Audi to be one of the better ones out there.

 

[Gixxer750]

I would think so too, but if it wasn’t all that good back then, what’s changed that everything will be perfect now.

Vision/sensing technologies and associated processing speed to interpret the high volume of data has come a very long way in the last 4 years. This would be the biggest improvement that would impact matrix lights.

 

[RMoore]

I saw this as well and meant to post about it. But apparently it's not quite what folks are saying since the US will not get exactly the same technology as in the EU and elsewhere. Here is an excerpt from an article in the NY Times:

However, the A.D.B. system allowed by the federal agency will not be identical to those used in the rest of the world. While the infrastructure bill called for the standard approved by the Society of Automotive Engineers, which is similar to the system used in most other countries, the agency modified it, citing in its 326-page rule a Supreme Court decision that gave it the right to do so.

The problem, according to one lighting expert, is that while U.S. vehicles can soon be equipped with headlamps that use dynamically reshaping high beams to prevent glare, their light output still cannot exceed the standard set in the 1970s, which is a fraction of the light intensity allowed globally.

“Adaptive driving beam technology in the rest of the world can increase seeing and reduce glare to a greater degree than what NHTSA has specified,” said Daniel Stern, chief editor of Driving Vision News, a technical journal about global vehicle lighting and driver assistance systems.

“The U.S. has left in place an ancient cap on high-beam intensity from the late 1970s,” Mr. Stern said. “It’s a regulatory island.”

Given the length of the report, few have had the opportunity to digest its contents. Both General Motors and the Society of Automotive Engineers have reserved judgment on the new smart headlight rules.

Here are links to a few other articles from searching google news.

 

[jkovacs]

I would think so too, but if it wasn’t all that good back then, what’s changed that everything will be perfect now.

I just spent the last 2 weeks driving a rental Skoda Enyaq EV around Europe and I can say the matrix high beams worked VERY well. It was actually really cool to see it in action. One really cool benefit was that the outer areas of my high beam cone would add to those of the car in front of me, providing even better visibility than either car could manage individually.

 

[Womps]

They are allowed in Canada. I have them on my 2021 F 150. They are an impressive feature.

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