Night into day

Over the years Audi has elevated the humble headlight to become both an advanced source of light and part of the design language on different models. So distinctive are the light offerings from the brand that different models can be identified from a distance as much by their light signature (day and night) as by their overall design. The efficiency and versatility of each successive Audi lighting system has continued to push the boundaries, probing further and further ahead and illuminating greater areas and yet without adversely affecting other road users.

When they arrive in Australia from September this year, the Audi e-tron GT quattro and RS e-tron GT will both sport the very latest in lighting technology from Audi, with Matrix LED headlights with Audi laser light as standard equipment.

From as low as 70km/h, a laser spot is activated in the centre of the headlight, between the low beam and high beam modules, effectively doubling the range of the high beams. Additionally, an ultra-compact laser module in each headlight generates a light beam that illuminates over half a kilometre ahead as a spotlight.

The result is illumination that needs to be experienced first hand to be truly appreciated, literally turning night into day with the sort of power that used to achievable only with aircraft landing lights.

The matrix LED headlights generate high beams using light-emitting diodes that are bundled into shared reflectors or lenses. They are able to illuminate the road without blinding, by using the camera on the windscreen to sense other cars or the lights of urban areas and then activating the control unit to dim individual LEDs or adjust them to a lower level. The flexibility of the system makes several million light patterns possible. The matrix LED light fully illuminates the areas between and next to the cars without irritating other drivers because it shields other vehicles. Other light-emitting diodes in the Matrix LED headlight assume the function of the manoeuvring light that illuminates the lateral area in front of the car when driving in reverse as well as the function of the all-weather light. This technology reduces glare from reflected light in poor visibility and delivers wider illumination as a fog light with quadrupled range. The cornering light is generated by shifting the focal point of the light along the curve. 

Available in Australia as an option, the night vision assistant with marking light technology adds another dimension to the way the lighting interacts with the surrounding environment. From around 60km/h, individual LEDs in the matrix LED headlights pulse repeatedly to mark perceived pedestrians, highlighting those who are not in lighted areas and might be difficult to see. The heart of the night vision assistant is a thermal imaging camera which has a 24-degree angle of view – its protective window is cleaned by a washer nozzle and it is heated when cold. As a far infrared system (FIR), the camera reacts to the heat radiated by people or animals in order to show them on the central display among the instruments. If the control unit foresees a hazard, such as when a pedestrian walks near the car on the street, the person is marked in red and a warning signal sounds at the same time. 

It may seem like something from a spy movie at first glance, but the system represents another invaluable safety dimension to the brand’s already impressive lighting arsenal.