The revamped A8 model of Audi is coming with brand new digital headlamps. Debuted by the latest model, this groundbreaking feature ‘directional lane light’ consists of matrix LED headlamps with a crucial DMD or ‘digital micro-mirror device.’ These headlamps flood the forwarding-focused lane with a smooth rectangle of light, do a 90o switch on and off to cover the entire lane without leaking sideways, and also project two lines of superimposed arrowheads atop the street tarmac to point the way through the darkness. Let’s delve more into this brilliant futuristic technology.
The New Technology
This DMD technology is generally used in cinemas for video projectors. It incorporates a total of 1.3 million micro-mirrors, each with a length of a few thousandths of a millimeter. The controlling chip uses data from the sensors and camera of the Audi A8 and the angle of each tiny mirror can be adjusted up to 5000 times a second. As a result, the light pixels can be shone or masked in a vast array of directions. The lamps don’t generate a static beam anymore, but instead, act like a digital image that’s constantly regenerating. The mighty matrix processing power has the vast capability of exerting an electrostatic field on the micro-mirrors to shift their position, enabling an almost infinite array of light patterns.
The Next Level
Technology that dips headlights automatically for oncoming traffic is not so new in the automobile world. However, the Audi A8, the first-ever Audi to feature digitized lamps on front and rear, has noticeably taken it to the next level. With stunning light choreography, the futuristic headlamps of the Audi A8 respond to the surroundings by constantly switching light areas on and off, with projected graphical info like directional arrows or even hazard warnings. This innate sense of clear safety is completed with cosmetic and trendy features of communicating with other drivers on the road by using car lights.