Automotive Lighting - State of the Art

Automotive Lighting - State of the Art

Introduction

The history of automotive lighting reaches back for over a hundred years. First of all candles and then gas lights were used for horse-drawn coaches, and gas lights were used for the first cars. In the 1920s electric lights began to be used in cars. Dynamos were installed at this stage solely for electrical lighting. In the thirties and forties optical systems for lighting were devel-oped to include the first projection systems. In the 1950s legal regulations began to cover vehicle lights. In the sixties halogen light sources became available and the voltage was raised to 12 volts. The resulting jump in lu-minous flux initially caused a public outcry, but was quickly accepted. In the eighties the aerodynamic headlamp began to replace the reflector bulb, also known as 'sealed beam’, which had become almost a standard for headlamps in the United States and Scandinavia. In the 1990s the gas dis-charge light source, referred to also as ' xenon ' was introduced. It offered considerably more light and almost vehicle life longevity. Headlamp level-ling became mandatory in Europe. In the first decade of the 21st century night-time design of vehicles became attractive. Also dynamic headlamps that followed the bends of the road were developed and built into cars. The first night visions systems and the first LED headlamps are being intro-duced.

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