We’re always on the lookout for car technology that will not only make life easier but safer too. Let’s face it, if anything nasty’s going to happen to you, there’s probably going to be a motor vehicle involved. Driving at night could get a lot less hazardous, for both drivers and pedestrians, once Ford’s prototype lighting tech comes into being.
Ford is working on vehicle lights that include infra-red cameras called Spot Lighting, itself an offshoot of their Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System. The idea is to use these cameras to highlight roadside hazards, like pedestrians and animals, and light them up. Literally. The prototype that they’ve shown in a video (below) adjusts light beams to show a person or animal on the side of the road, while the IR camera also uses the subject’s body head to display them on an in-car display. Very military-looking, if you ask us.
Ford reckons that detecting and highlighting, both with the camera and the light beams, living creatures on the side of the road will go a long way to avoiding accidents – especially on poorly lit roads. We could also see this tech being used in a law-enforcement capacity. If you’re looking for criminals that have just headed off-road, being able to see them via infra-red could come in handy.
Ford’s Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System lighting tech will automatically shine a light on road markings and signs that may escape your notice otherwise, as well as intelligently direct the beams in the direction you’re supposed to be travelling. It’s still in the prototype stage for the moment but we’re looking forward to the day when traversing South Africa at night carries less risk of a high-speed sheep or springbuck to the grille of your car.