[RahulNagaraj]

According to reports, Hyundai Mobis has come up with a new headlight technology which projects street signs on the road ahead.

The new lighting system can project texts and images on the road ahead, with the company describing it as a potential extension of a vehicle's head-up display. The text and image projections on the road, also help warn pedestrians.



The headlight tech is said to be tied to the vehicle's GPS and onboard cameras. This allows the system to project appropriate information, such as roadwork signs when approaching a construction zone or even a crosswalk for pedestrians.

The new tech is said to use up to 25,000 LEDs, each 0.04 mm wide with its mirrors being 0.01 mm wide. This according to Hyundai Mobis, allows them to have a fine level of control in shaping the light projections.

Having said that, this isn't the first time headlight projections have been showcased. Mercedes unveiled a similar tech in 2018 on its Maybach S-Class; while Ford Europe also showed off its shape-projecting headlights in 2022.

Source: MotorAuthority

Link to Team-BHP news

[DieselAddikt]

Isn't this something that Mercedes introduced half a decade back ? How did it come into the limelight now ? What more does it bring to the table ?

[Rehaan]

Hmmm... let's break it down:

• Sounds like a stupid idea that's just going to cause mayhem when multiple cars have them

• Sounds cool as a marketing piece / show-off feature

• HUDs are a much more sensible solution to this, less disturbance to others, more energy efficient, AND also work during the daytime

• How soon before cars start projecting advertisements while you're at a stop light? Don't worry, for a $9.99/mo subscription you can go ad-free

• In parallel the hacking community will be working on ways to watch movies and TV shows on a 200" tarmac screen in front of your car

• Honestly though, the only real advantage to this might be at some intersection between safety and augmented reality -- where for example, the lights might project a red outline around a foreign object on the road, or hyper-light-up a stalled vehicle, or flash a yellow warning triangle on the road to alert someone if they are starting to cut into your lane while you're in their blind-spot, etc

[Dr.Procastinate]

First things first, isn't it something that Merc came up with in the EQS concept,then called the 'Vision' I guess back in like 2018 ?


Well, Let's give it to them, it is a great party trick, even better than the remote engine start/stop that the current crop of cars come equipped with

And like it or not, it sounds like a great recipe for disaster. Being on the road, I would appreciate it if a horde of cars aren't throwing random signs around me when I am driving. Try as much as anyone might,this thing will sure take some of your attention off the road.

It does more good as a technological demonstration than as a practical tool IMHO.

[Briarean]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Hmmm... let's break it down:

• How soon before cars start projecting advertisements while you're at a stop light? Don't worry, for a $9.99/mo subscription you can go ad-free

This will be an interesting "Extortion". Pay $99.9k for the car and then ask for a $9.99 monthly subscription. Buyers will be forced to pay to avoid "on-road" harassment.

• In parallel the hacking community will be working on ways to watch movies and TV shows on a 200" tarmac screen in front of your car

A suggestion to modify car horns as “5 channel surround sound speakers” should be given to the car makers.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

The headlight tech is said to be tied to the vehicle's GPS and onboard cameras. This allows the system to project appropriate information, such as roadwork signs when approaching a construction zone or even a crosswalk for pedestrians.

The tech is already there, many cars have traffic sign recognition which works quite well on most days and show tons of good information but this feels like an overkill to me. Maybe a cool party trick to show the passangers and nothing else.


I don't trust the feature blindly yet, there's a section which has 30kmph limit in my city and someone decided to spray paint it to resemble 80, so my car camera picks up 80 without fail everytime and doesn't change unless the next limit pops up. Not the fault of the car but I expect it to cross check using GPS and show the correct limit.

[audioholic]

Yaaaawwwnnn. Just a first copy of the tech already on offer by the biggies elsewhere. Instead of street signs what they should plan to actually project is the vehicle width when it is in narrow lanes, highlight vulnerable road users, traffic signs etc. But that's difficult to precisely achieve in 25000 light pixels. Audi Matrix and Mercedes intelligent LED uses much more. But of course, Hyundai is targeting smaller and more affordable cars whose cost is as much as that of a pair of lights of the Mercedes, so it's bound to be with limitations

[Cresterk]

https://youtu.be/l1-jecq3GMY?t=261

The Mercedes S class has had this tech for years now.

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Hmmm... let's break it down:

• Sounds like a stupid idea that's just going to cause mayhem when multiple cars have them

Right! I was about to say that. It would end up looking like a light show on road when multiple cars have them and needless to say that in a country like ours, the wannabes would go about projecting all sorts of nonsense by modding the projection system. I could easily see how this can be a nuisance than a beneficial piece of tech.