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I don't understand how they call a head-up display a premium feature and then continue to describe matrix-led-projection headlights that are only on the high en

I don't understand how they call a head-up display a premium feature and then continue to describe matrix-led-projection headlights that are only on the high end models of premium German brands. Head-up displays are available in a relatively mid-range BMW 3 series from over 10 years ago. It's an option you have to pay for, but so will these lights be.

kube-system 4y ago
Yeah heads up displays have to be at least an order of magnitude cheaper to produce, if not more.
- hendrikrassmann 4y ago
  1.3 million micro-mirrors per headlight :D God forbids we (Germany) just build good cars that get you from A to B.
  - jerf 4y ago
    That may sound weird, but it's actually off-the-shelf tech for a couple of decades now: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Light_Processing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Light_Processing It's already the most common projector technology, not something new they're developing just for this. 1.3 million mirrors is actually low-resolution by modern standards.
  - woobar 4y ago
    DLP TV mirror chip from 15-20 years ago had 2M mirrors.[1] [1] https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dlp1.htm https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dlp1.htm
- SkyPuncher 4y ago
  Yes and no. I believe this technology is an extension of selective darkening headlights. Essentially, a camera system can detect surrounding vehicles and selectively darken the lighting around them. It means you could effectively always run your high-beams since the vehicles around you won't be blinded.
  - kube-system 4y ago
    That’s a much better use of this technology, because it actually exhibits better performance than the technology it replaces.
  - elf25 4y ago
    '79 Lincoln TownCar did that with a single photocell, worked about 80% of the time. The tech is there and it's not expensive and I'd say could easily be improved with multiple low cost sensors.
    - kube-system 4y ago
      The selective dimming they're referring to is variable in beam pattern, rather than the boolean high/low beam pattern of traditional vehicles.
- rootusrootus 4y ago
  Depends on the system. The older ones that are still most common are just screens facing up in the dash that reflect off the windshield. They are also nearly 100% blocked during the day for anyone wearing polarized sunglasses, which limits their usefulness. Newer HUDs use lasers and work with polarized glasses, but of course they are a more complicated, expensive technology.
  - kube-system 4y ago
    I’m not saying HUDs are great, I’m saying they’re relatively simple compared to this tech.
reaperducer 4y ago
Head-up displays are available in a relatively mid-range BMW 3 series from over 10 years ago. Heads-up displays were available in cars at least as far back as the 1990's. Perhaps earlier. These days, you can get an app for your smartphone that doe the same thing. You just velcro the phone to your dashboard under the windshield and the backwards HUD is reflected in the glass.

kube-system 4y ago

Yeah heads up displays have to be at least an order of magnitude cheaper to produce, if not more.

hendrikrassmann 4y ago
1.3 million micro-mirrors per headlight :D God forbids we (Germany) just build good cars that get you from A to B.
- jerf 4y ago
  That may sound weird, but it's actually off-the-shelf tech for a couple of decades now: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Light_Processing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Light_Processing It's already the most common projector technology, not something new they're developing just for this. 1.3 million mirrors is actually low-resolution by modern standards.
- woobar 4y ago
  DLP TV mirror chip from 15-20 years ago had 2M mirrors.[1] [1] https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dlp1.htm https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dlp1.htm
SkyPuncher 4y ago
Yes and no. I believe this technology is an extension of selective darkening headlights. Essentially, a camera system can detect surrounding vehicles and selectively darken the lighting around them. It means you could effectively always run your high-beams since the vehicles around you won't be blinded.
- kube-system 4y ago
  That’s a much better use of this technology, because it actually exhibits better performance than the technology it replaces.
- elf25 4y ago
  '79 Lincoln TownCar did that with a single photocell, worked about 80% of the time. The tech is there and it's not expensive and I'd say could easily be improved with multiple low cost sensors.
  - kube-system 4y ago
    The selective dimming they're referring to is variable in beam pattern, rather than the boolean high/low beam pattern of traditional vehicles.
rootusrootus 4y ago
Depends on the system. The older ones that are still most common are just screens facing up in the dash that reflect off the windshield. They are also nearly 100% blocked during the day for anyone wearing polarized sunglasses, which limits their usefulness. Newer HUDs use lasers and work with polarized glasses, but of course they are a more complicated, expensive technology.
- kube-system 4y ago
  I’m not saying HUDs are great, I’m saying they’re relatively simple compared to this tech.

reaperducer 4y ago

Head-up displays are available in a relatively mid-range BMW 3 series from over 10 years ago. Heads-up displays were available in cars at least as far back as the 1990's. Perhaps earlier. These days, you can get an app for your smartphone that doe the same thing. You just velcro the phone to your dashboard under the windshield and the backwards HUD is reflected in the glass.