Opel Developing Adaptive LED Headlights

Opel has devised what it calls a “revolutionary solution” in automotive lighting. Opel calls the system intelligent LED matrix lighting. The system uses full LED headlights with a forward-facing camera mounted at the top of the windshield. The headlights are set to high-beams by default, but when the system detects an oncoming car, it deflects the lights away from that part of the road to not blind the oncoming driver. 

Opel claims that while it keeps other drivers from being blinded, it also keeps the rest of the road visible. As soon as the camera detects a light source from either a car in the front or in the rear that area of the road is dimmed. Opel claims that the system adjusts faster than any driver-operated or mechanical system because the LEDs can be switched so quickly. 

The new system offers half of the energy use compared to conventional HID headlights. Each light matrix is made of four light segments with four light sources in each segment. Each light source can be operated individually by the system meaning there are 16 settings for each headlight that the system can adjust to as necessary. 

Opel says that the system will be ready for market in a few years. 

"We were the first automakers to bring AFL – the combination of dynamic xenon curve light and static cornering light – to the market back in 2002. Opel is now set to revolutionize night-time driving again with the intelligent matrix light, the most advanced automotive lighting system in the world,” said Opel Vice President of Engineering, Rita Forst.