With full LED headlights now being adopted by leading automotive manufacturers, BMW is already advanced with the next step – laser light headlights.
Laser lights are monochromatic and coherent which means they can potentially produce a near parallel beam one thousand times more intense than LED lights. They also require only half the power of LED lights – that means reduced fuel consumption.
For the automotive application the laser light is converted so it’s not direct – thus it’s safe for humans and animals.
Laser lights already have automotive designers racing to their drawing boards as the diodes are 100 times smaller than LED lights so the lights fitted to cars will be a fraction of the size we know today – opening lots of possibilities for cars which look radically different and more aerodynamic.
Even so, BMW is thinking that initially cars with laser lights might use conventional sixed headlights on the outside, but behind they will be much thinner which again requires fresh thinking from designers and could lead to increased pedestrian safety.
Look for laser lights when BMW’s new i-brand debuts its i8 Concept.
