BMW now developing laser headlights

Posted on Sep 12 2011 - 11:22am by Julius

German luxury car manufacturer BMW has revealed that it is currently working on laser headlights, which is 1,000 times brighter than the current LED lights.

The car maker said that lasers are the “next logical step” in the evolution of a vehicle’s headlights. According to BMW’s press release, the company believes that laser technology could bring in “entirely new light functions for even more safety and comfort and at the same time contribute significantly through its higher degree of efficiency towards a saving in energy and fuel respectively.”

The company aims to not just improve the safety of vehicle owners, but also to decrease energy consumption, as the new laser lights will have a 70 percent more efficient lumens-from-watt conversion.

The car manufacturer also plans to eliminate the dangers of beaming lasers into the eyes of other car owners by converting the light inside the housing. The raw laser light will be filtered through a fluorescent phosphor material, which will take blue laser and change it into a safer white light.

“The intensity of laser light poses no possible risks to humans, animals or wildlife when used in car lighting,” explains BMW. “Amongst other things, this is because the light is not emitted directly, but is first converted into a form that is suitable for use in road traffic. The resulting light is very bright and white. It is also very pleasant to the eye and has a very low energy consumption.”

BMW said that we are still a few years away from producing laser headlight technology. Reports say that the first vehicle that will use the laser headlights will be the i8 concept car.

 

via: MSN

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