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FROM XENON TO LASER
How long has xenon light been owned exclusively by premium cars, and now it is even tried on a small car. Moreover, xenon is gradually being replaced by next-generation headlights - LED. And the evolution of automotive lighting will not end there. Developers from the research center in the city of Garching, near Munich, offer a new light source - a laser.
An important plus of laser radiation, which the light from other known sources does not have, is monochrome. I decipher: consists of waves of the same frequency. In addition, these oscillations are coherent, that is, they have a constant phase difference, independent of time. Therefore, the laser has a high radiation flux density, a thousand times higher than that of LEDs. And if so, then to obtain the desired illumination, less power will be required and, as a result, the load on the on-board network of the car will become lower - consider the saved liters of fuel in tanks or kilowatt hours in batteries.
The main elements of the laser headlight:
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1 - laser radiation sources
2 - laser beams
3 - a system of mirrors directing laser beams
4 - an element of fluorescent material
5 - a mirror for directing a white light beam
Inside the headlight are several sources of laser radiation with a power of 1 W each. Their rays fall on an element of fluorescent material. When the latter absorbs energy, a white glow is released, from which a light beam is formed:
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Careful energy consumption is not the only advantage of newfangled headlights. A laser beam directed by a system of mirrors and lenses onto a fluorescent material is converted to white light. According to the spectrum, it is closer to xenon and LED to the most familiar and safe daylight for the human eye. In addition, laser sources are very compact: a laser diode is about a hundred times smaller than a light diode. It is possible that this quality is used in the design of new headlights - for example, they will make the head lighting equipment flat to stick to body panels.
When the laser light illuminates the road, one can only speculate. It is possible that in a couple of years, when the concept of the new BMW-i8 coupe, on which laser lights were first lit, will go into series.
Another novelty - the function of dynamic spot lighting (Dynamic Light Spot) - is designed to protect against danger the most defenseless participants in the movement. Its task is to detect the pedestrian before he appears in the headlights, and point him to the driver. And this is how the new assistant does it. Information is provided by the BMW Night Vision. An infrared camera is capable of detecting a pedestrian at a distance of up to 300 m (we checked - see the special test in the next rooms). First, a warning about the danger appears in front of the driver’s eyes, and after a while the electronics connect dynamic spotlights. The beam of an additional headlight, like a theater spotlight, snatches a person out of the darkness and follows him until he disappears from the field of view of the electronic assistant. The developers assured that such a pointer only highlights, but does not blind a person.
A driver with a Dynamic Light Spot system (right) will notice a pedestrian about 100 meters away. And in the dipped headlights (left), a person will appear only a few tens of meters
A driver with a Dynamic Light Spot system (right) will notice a pedestrian about 100 meters away. And in the dipped headlights (left), a person will appear only a few tens of meters. A driver with a Dynamic Light Spot system (right) will notice a pedestrian about 100 meters away. And in the dipped headlights (left), a person will appear only a few tens of meters.
Thus, the driver receives an additional few precious seconds to prevent a collision. According to BMW experts, the dipped beam hits about 50–85 m, but it is possible to accurately calculate the pedestrian much later - about 30 m. The car drives per second at a speed of 90 km / h allowed outside the city for about 25 m. and the maneuver remains a little more than a second - negligible to prevent a collision. And with the Dynamic Light Spot system, the distance and time reserve are quadrupled - this is already enough to slow down or dodge the pedestrian. Moreover, the driver is responding to such a prompt faster and more adequately than to warnings projected onto the windshield and even more so on the central display.
On prototypes, LED lamps with rotary mechanisms were built into the fog lamp housings, but as standard they will be placed in the head lighting equipment. The easiest way to teach this operation is xenon modules with automatic (depending on the traffic situation) light distribution or multi-section LED blocks (LED-grilles). However, as early as next year, the first cars with dynamic spotlights should appear - for now, as an option and provided that the client ordered a night vision system.
MIRACLES OF NAVIGATION
The network of roads is growing, interchanges are becoming more sophisticated, speeds are higher … Smart and efficient electronic assistants cannot be dispensed with. One of the main advantages of the next generation of navigation is an enlarged color projection on the windshield, which allows you to "impose" tips … right on the road. For example, arrows appear on the asphalt where to turn and which row to take, or the selected object is highlighted. In addition, navigation will take on increased responsibilities. With clear graphics, she will illustrate the work of the cruise control or lane change assistant, offer an optimal and safe trajectory for avoiding obstacles on the road.
Tomorrow’s navigation. This is how the virtual situation will be combined with the real road. You just can’t imagine more clear hints
Tomorrow’s navigation. This is how the virtual situation will be combined with the real road. You just can’t imagine more clear hints. Tomorrow’s navigation. This is how the virtual situation will be combined with the real road. You just can’t imagine more clear hints.
Not only navigation tips, but also warnings of other electronic assistants will be projected onto the windshield. They will warn against an accident or suggest an optimal trajectory
Not only navigation tips, but also warnings of other electronic assistants will be projected onto the windshield. They will warn against an accident or suggest an optimal trajectory. Not only navigation tips, but also warnings of other electronic assistants will be projected onto the windshield. They will warn against an accident or suggest an optimal trajectory.
Technical difficulties so far impede the implementation of such a design, with the embodiment in a series will have to wait approximately until 2015. One of the reasons is that the current projected image can be increased only four times, thus highlighting only one strip. And to display the image on all the glass, you will need a bulky projector, which simply does not fit inside the dashboard. Therefore, developers are looking for alternatives. One of them is a holographic image, which will be formed by compact laser systems.
In addition, to obtain and process data for navigation, you will need the appropriate software and hardware. However, additional informants, most likely, will not be needed - everything necessary in a modern car has already been installed. For example, information about what is happening around the car will be received by the navigation of the future from GPS sensors, front and rear cameras, and an active cruise control radar. For correct operation, digital maps will be supplemented with detailed information about the road infrastructure.
Soon, cars will learn to understand sign language. A pair of infrared sensors and a camera monitor hand movements and head position. He ran his hand from left to right - opened a new window on the screen. He nodded - confirmed the request. Set protection against accidental actions: you must wave in a certain area or press a button to activate gesture control
Soon, cars will learn to understand sign language. A pair of infrared sensors and a camera monitor hand movements and head position. He ran his hand from left to right - opened a new window on the screen. He nodded - confirmed the request. Set protection against accidental actions: you must wave in a certain area or press a button to activate gesture control. Soon, cars will learn to understand sign language. A pair of infrared sensors and a camera monitor hand movements and head position. He ran his hand from left to right - opened a new window on the screen. He nodded - confirmed the request. Set protection against accidental actions: you must wave in a certain area or press a button to activate gesture control.
ERGONOMIC ELECTRONICS
BMW has long been carrying out research related to ergonomics. That is why 95% of the world's population feel comfortable in Bavarian models. Developers take into account not only anthropometric data, but also physical strength, joint mobility.
Previously, ergonomics specialists performed most of the operations manually; now, computer technology comes to their aid. For half a minute, the scanner probes the entire human body with light rays, and a 3D model appears on the monitor screen. But in order to “revive” it, it will be necessary to measure the angles at which the arms and legs are bent, wrists and feet are twisted, and the body is bent. The person to be measured must perform 84 movements so that the computer gets a complete picture of the kinematics of the musculoskeletal system. Moreover, in order to accumulate the statistical information necessary when building a computer model, several dozens of people aged 17 to 85 years, of different height, physique and physique, must be counted.
One of the stands for creating digital models that help layout and ergonomics specialists evaluate the convenience of landing and disembarking. The dimensions and shape of the doorway are easily adjusted, the person is stuck with sensors and put on a tight leotard to get an accurate digital copy
One of the stands for creating digital models that help layout and ergonomics specialists evaluate the convenience of landing and disembarking. The dimensions and shape of the doorway are easily adjusted, the person is stuck with sensors and put on a tight leotard to get an accurate digital copy. One of the stands for creating digital models that help layout and ergonomics specialists evaluate the convenience of landing and disembarking. The dimensions and shape of the doorway are easily adjusted, the person is stuck with sensors and put on a tight leotard to get an accurate digital copy.
By the end of this year, ergonomics experts are threatening to do away with measurements; protractors and rulers will be replaced by virtual mannequins. They will drastically reduce the design time of future models. For example, the process of getting in and out of a car consists of about 2, 000 separate movements - try to find exactly what is inconvenient and how to fix a defect! And the program will step by step compare the whole process with the standard and will soon give clear recommendations. In general, you can already tick off - this stage of designing new models was also computerized.
ALREADY NOT A CONCEPT, NOT ANOTHER SERIES
In the near future they plan to release 1, 100 BMW Active E electric vehicles based on the 1st series coupe: a 125-kilowatt synchronous electric motor drives the rear wheels, the car conquers a hundred in 9 s, and there is enough energy for 32 kWh lithium-ion batteries for 160 km. But this model will not go on sale, but will go to various organizations for controlled operation. The comments and suggestions received will be taken into account when finalizing the prospective i3 model with electric drive.
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