In terms of automotive innovation, what will we see in the coming years? The cars we will be driving in the future will not be equipped with headlights but video projectors. As our journalist Anicet Mbida explains on Friday morning, this could for example be used to project pictograms and animations to make the road even safer than today. Several questions already arise around this new technology which will be democratized in the years to come.
"First of all, you have to understand what it's about, we take the same type of overhead projector that we use in meeting rooms or in a home theater, and we install it in the headlights. it serve to project information directly on the road, in front of the car.For example, if you want to sneak between two obstacles, you are not sure that it passes .The headlights will project landmarks, in front of you , to visualize the width of the vehicle.
It will also be useful for security. We can project pictograms or animations on the road and warn pedestrians that a car is coming. Or point out to cyclists that we are in their blind spot and that we intend to overtake them. There are really a lot of uses. One could even watch movies projected by his lighthouses. "
But will it be visible in broad daylight?
"It is true that in full sun, we should not see much, so they are thinking of doubling the system of a laser projector that draws shapes always visible.
The Japanese of Koito Manufacturing and Mitsubishi have just introduced a prototype. Mercedes is also working on it for its high-end sedans. But I think it will be especially useful for autonomous cars. Since there is no driver, we have no way of knowing if she lets you go or if she will start. With this system, his headlights can project a message on the ground to signal his intentions. "