CES: Laser Headlights Edge Closer To Real-World Highways

jeffb (2.718) writes "Audi will display laser-headlight technology on a concept car at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, joining BMW, whose plug-in hybrid should reach production in 2014. A November article on optics.org describes the technology in more detail. This approach does not scan or project a 'laser beam' from the car; instead, it uses blue lasers as highly efficient light emitters, and focuses their light onto a yellow phosphor, producing an extremely intense and compact white light source and then forming that light into a conventional headlamp beam. The beam isn't coherent or point-sourced, so it won't produce the 'speckling' interference effects of direct laser illumination, and it won't pose specular-reflection hazards. It's just a very bright and very well-controlled beam of normal white light.

Comments

Re:blinding lights

[adolf]

Laser lights will significantly compound this problem.

How?

They should not be allowed.

Why? (And no, "because lasers!" doesn't count.)

I honestly believe that we should ban HID lights and go back to 55W halogens being the brightest lights available.

As if nobody could ever aim a halogen headlight improperly....or design a reflector for them that allows for very sharp cutoffs that produce a pattern of light similar to that of HIDs aim for.