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Automotive Lighting equips the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class headlamps

Automotive Lighting, in close co-operation with Mercedes-Benz, has developed the world´s first active infrared lighting system for the new S-Class. The new technology allows for permanent driving with (for humans) invisible high beam lights without ever blending even thick oncoming traffic. This allows the driver to drive with low beam and nonetheless ´see´ just as well as with high beam. Dangerous situations are identified and placed on the on-board display. This has long been the wish of many car drivers and produces a major improvement in active safety during night or on country roads.

The infrared module technology utilises a spectral absorption filter with more than 30 absorption layers and has been developed based upon a standard optical high beam module with a low cost H11-bulb, and it can be easily integrated in any modern high-performance headlight. With a switch in the cockpit, the infrared system is turned on alongside the normal low beam. Above a speed of 15 km/h (10 mph) the module is activated and ´lights´ up the street ahead with (for humans) invisible infrared light and detection systems. The technology eliminates the need for perpetual switching on and off of the high beam. The infrared high beam, which is invisible to the oncoming traffic, is always available for the driver. A CCD camera is used to acquire the infrared images which are converted to human-visible images and transferred to an onboard display.

The passive infrared system detects subtle changes in radiated heat emissions and detects humans and animals which are warmer than their surrounding environmental temperature. An innovative active heat radiation unit, developed by Automotive Lighting, carries out the additional detection of ´cold´ objects which have roughly the same temperature as the surrounding environment. The complete technology allows the driver to detect life forms as well as static objects which could pose potential danger or accident risk.

Even though only about one quarter of all driving takes place at night, half of all deadly automotive accidents occur in the hours of darkness. Research has shown that roughly half of all accidents at night involve an obstacle or another traffic participant which was recognised too late. In difficult driving conditions such as driving with oncoming traffic or in the rain with increased light reflections, standard high beam lights are often insufficient for viewing beyond oncoming traffic or quickly recognising obstacles and other traffic participants and reacting appropriately. The new infrared system from Automotive Lighting can drastically improve pedestrian and road safety in these situations.

Developed by Automotive Lighting for the new Mercedes Benz S-Class, the new high-performance bi-xenon headlamp incorporating low beam as well as high beam xenon lighting in addition to static light levelling and dynamic curve light is through the integration of the new infrared system a central component of the Pre-Safe system. It is a large and progressive step toward improving driving comfort at night and contributes strongly to automotive safety in all driving situations.