New headlight tech in future Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a new advanced headlight technology that is set to feature on its future models. Called Digital Light, the advanced high-definition projection technology enables the headlights to project illuminated symbols such as stop signs, zebra crossings, and guiding paths, as part of a comprehensive suite of features.

First revealed on the earlier F015 research vehicle, the technology adopted by the new system uses more than one million so-called micromirrors per headlight. Using both camera and radar sensors as well as algorithms developed by Mercedes, the new headlights are able to identify other road users and adapt the light distribution to the environment.

"We are not only striving for beam records, rather we want to achieve optimum vision and maximum brightness without glare,” said Gunter Fischer, head of exterior body development and vehicle operating systems at Daimler. "Functions for supporting the driver and staging communication with other road users significantly optimise safety when driving at night."

Eschewing the laser light technology already offered by Audi and BMW, Mercedes-Benz claims its new light technology offers greater benefit to the driver and other road users. ”The decisive factor is not the technology in the headlight but the digital intelligence behind it,” said Fischer.

Building on the Multi=Beam headlight technology already offered on a number of Mercedes models, each of the new-generation Digital Light headlights feature four light points. There are 1,024 individually actuatable LED chips per unit, making it a total of 8,192 LEDs per vehicle.