After a shaky start, automakers selling cars in the US are finally starting to design adaptive headlights specifically for NHTSA’s new rules, which are severely different than in Europe, where the technology is far more prevalent. Audi is the latest example of this, with its new Q9 flagship SUV touting the company’s Digital Matrix LED technology, which allows it to steer the beam around oncoming traffic so as not to blind anyone in your path. But Audi is going even further with the Q9’s lighting, introducing a new system that can project turn indicators onto the road, with dynamic arrows that make it clear to everyone – even those who can’t directly see your headlights or taillights – where you intend to go.
Many expensive vehicles today have onboard projectors that will shine a graphic on the ground nearby, usually as soon as you open the doors and get in to begin your journey. The difference with what Audi is doing here is that it actually has a practical benefit.
Imagine you are in a line of vehicles at a stoplight. You’re at the back of the line, then there’s a semi truck, and at the front is an Audi Q9 with these matrix lights. Normally, you won’t be able to see from your vantage point that the Q9’s driver has pointed to the left. However, these estimates will give you a hint. And it’s not a life-changing safety benefit, but any measure that increases visibility of what other motorists are doing is generally a positive.
The arrows animate in a repeating pattern, flashing from each corner of the car in a diagonal orientation, making them easy to read from a shallow angle. In theory, this would help not only fellow drivers, but also pedestrians and cyclists, who might be more inclined to pick up on graphics on the ground in front of them rather than lights above the road.
This feature will not be exclusive to the Q9. The (slightly) smaller Q7 will also have the same matrix technology, and perhaps it will then be implemented in other products in the range. The arrival of adaptive headlights isn’t going to happen anytime soon here in the US, where automakers keep making headlights brighter, but regulatory paralysis has prevented them from managing that intensity in a way that is safe and comfortable for everyone on the road.
Audi’s new indicator gain is certainly a less consequential secondary development, but a neat development nonetheless. And who knows what other messages these projectors may deliver in the future?
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