Looks like we’re FINALLY going to be getting functionality in the headlights
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2024.20 headlights Finally
- Thread starter cptnslo
- Start date
BigNick
Infamous Fat Sweaty Guy
Lance From Jax
Member
Will this include the ability for the headlamps to block out beams that shine in the oncoming cars eyes?
I did read that it will allow the light beam to "round corners" and to shine further down highways, but I didn't see anything
about block outs.
I did read that it will allow the light beam to "round corners" and to shine further down highways, but I didn't see anything
about block outs.
Based on some other articles that I was reading on Reddit, it seems like the beam curvature is all that’s going to be on this update so it’s not full usability of the matrix headlights but it’s a step towards them hopefully
Lance From Jax
Member
Just a guess, lighting up the curves requires the pixels to shine on some of the angled reflectors. This was probably not happening before.
I read that only matrix headlights support the adaptive functions, and that you can tell if you have them if there is a round projector on the outer edge of the headlight.
I have a brand new 2024 Model 3 Standard Range, but the headlights do not have a round projector on the outer edge. Am I SOL for the adaptive feature once my car gets the appropriate update?
I have a brand new 2024 Model 3 Standard Range, but the headlights do not have a round projector on the outer edge. Am I SOL for the adaptive feature once my car gets the appropriate update?
E90alex
Active Member
The projector has some ability to move up/down/left/right.
So it seems they’re just enabling the lateral rotation on curves like how other cars have had adaptive headlights for decades.
Lance From Jax
Member
cmy4x4
Member
Lance From Jax
Member
E90alex
Active Member
You can clearly see (and hear) the projector beam moving when you go to the headlight adjustment menu.
You can easily check if you have the Matrix headlights by getting the car to do a light show (under the Toolbox toys from memory).
If it has the Matrix headlights it can display/project the word TESLA on the wall in front of the car.
kayrish
Member
There's two ways to accomplish this.
The reason we did not have Matrix LEDs enabled is because the US's outdated laws do not allow using this feature by only using the LEDs (there are two parts to this, one is the ability for the headlight to steer itself and the other is adaptive headlights that can turn off parts of the LED to prevent blinding oncoming cars). So the other option (which many automakers in the US use) is to use steering input based movement of the projector assembly (the LEDs are housed inside it). If this is the case, there will be some type of algorithm to gently actuate the assembly in the appropriate direction (based on steering input) to provide better illumination along the path that the vehicle is turning. We have a 2016.5 Mazda CX5 with xenon lamps and this is the technique they use.
It isn't that all the LEDs are or aren't being used. You can use all of them if you turn on the high beams. In low beam, only some of the LEDs are illuminated (mainly bottom rows, I don't know how the actual matrix looks)
The other technique, pioneered by German manufacturers (MB, Audi, BMW) uses constructive interference. Its a well known principle of physics whereby you can use time delays or phase shifts to use the principle of constructive interference to "steer the beam" without having to physically move an element. I am fairly certain this is how it is accomplished.
Here's a study I found which outlines the principle for LiDAR which uses Lasers instead of LEDs. In this case the main beam of the laser needs to be split into smaller beams and the phase shift/time delay is applied to the split smaller beams to steer. Now replace the laser + splitter which LEDs which are already individually controllable and it starts to make sense:
OPA consists of splitter tree, phase shifters, and emitting array as shown in Figure 1. The incident light is divided into several channels through a cascaded splitter tree, and the phase of the light in each channel is modulated by a phase shifter. Finally, the light enters the emission array and radiates outward, forming a scanning beam in the specified direction. This direction is determined by the structure of the emitting elements, the wavelength of the input light, and the relative phase among different channels [36,37].
Here is a link to the study: Beam Steering Technology of Optical Phased Array Based on Silicon Photonic Integrated Chip
I am drawing this knowledge from my profession as a Naval Weapons Engineer. SONAR and RADAR (antennas) utilize this to perform beam steering and beam forming. Ultimately these are just different mediums and since the energy is a wave, the same principle can be applied. If there's someone who knows a bit more on this, please do clarify lol.
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E90alex
Active Member
Never heard of that before.
The Germans use a combination of swiveling projector and local dimming of LEDs to achieve active high beam function just like everyone else.
Before pixel array/matrix LEDs came about, they used a movable shutter within the HID/LED projector to block out oncoming traffic.
kayrish
Member
Yes you are right. I was explaining how they could curve the light around a path but after digging around a bit more, it seems it’s a combination of what you described. I described how it would operate if they were solid state. Maybe we’ll see in the future and I need to fact check more lol…
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