mercedes-benz digital light headlamps shine in HD quality

for mercedes-benz developers the future of car light lies in HD quality. its headlamp technology can shine with maximum performance and facilitates communication and pioneering driver assistance. the new high definition headlamp generation from the german-automaker features chips that work with over one million micromirrors, i.e. more than two million in total per vehicle. the intelligent control logic required for the dynamic light functions was developed by mercedes itself. algorithms receive detailed information about the surroundings from the vehicle sensors, and from it calculate in real time the brightness value for each one of over two million pixels. this dynamism and precision gives this intelligent system well-nigh countless possibilities to provide ideal, high-resolution light distribution which suits the surrounding conditions perfectly.

all images © mercedes-benz

sensors, such as cameras or radar, detect other road users and powerful computers evaluate the data as well as digital cards in milliseconds and give the headlamps the commands for adapting the light distribution in all situations. these efforts yield optimum vision for the driver without dazzling other road users as well as innovative functions with added safety. mercedes-benz does not only want to achieve the ideal light distribution for every driving situation with ‘digital light’, but guide and support the driver in a targeted manner in critical situations such as driving through narrow roadworks. additionally it will be possible to project light traces onto the road to replace missing road markings. 

precision with resolution of more than two million pixels

moreover ‘digital light’ systems can also beam messages like direction arrows or warnings onto the road. via ‘digital light’ the car will also communicate with other road users in future: for example, symbols or a zebra crossing for pedestrians can be projected. therefore, it delivers important contributions towards traffic safety and modules on the road to accident-free and autonomous driving – as an integral component of the overall intelligent drive strategy. what was unveiled in 2015 in the research vehicle ‘F 015’ as a vision has now been implemented in demo vehicles and will be on the road in the near future.

light adapts to stop glare for oncoming vehicles and pedestrians

‘with our digital light strategy we are not only striving for beam records, rather we want to achieve optimum vision and maximum brightness without glare. innovative functions for supporting the driver and staging communication with other road users significantly optimize safety when driving at night’, emphasizes gunter fischer, head of exterior body development and vehicle operating systems at daimler automotive group.

communicates signals to oncoming traffic

‘the decisive factor is not the technology in the headlamp but the digital intelligence behind it’, he stresses further.

the innovation was developed by mercedes-benz in collaboration with two partner companies and it is a prime example of the cooperation between the daimler research and the passenger car development on the road to start of production.