Infrared Night Vision Systems and Their Application in the Automotive Industry
When driving at night, the road conditions within the range illuminated by your high beams are clear and distinguishable, yet dangers constantly lurk in the darkness beyond.
Although automotive lighting technology has advanced considerably over the years, driving at night remains far riskier than during the day. It is not uncommon to encounter situations where you only spot someone changing a tire by the roadside, or a pedestrian or animal crossing the road within headlight range-too late to react in time.
General Motors once conducted a survey among drivers, asking them to rate 30 to 40 electronic vehicle devices based on personal preference. Results showed that the vast majority of drivers had a particular preference for automotive night vision systems and hoped to have this equipment installed in their vehicles. The reason is that safety features such as airbags and ABS only activate in emergencies, whereas automotive night vision systems serve as active safety devices that prevent hazards in advance and significantly improve driving safety under adverse weather conditions.
According to statistics from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), although night driving accounts for only one-quarter of total highway travel, it is responsible for half of all fatal crashes. Meanwhile, 70% of crashes were caused by poor nighttime visibility (2002 data).
However, with an automotive infrared night vision system, you effectively gain the keen eyes of an owl aided by binoculars. The on-board night vision system allows you to clearly see objects ahead beyond the reach of your high beams, giving you foresight to detect potential dangers in the dark early and greatly enhancing driving safety.
On the display screen, road edges, lane markings, objects on the road, and pedestrians by the roadside preparing to cross are all clearly visible.
As such, automotive night vision systems can detect far more than conventional headlights, capturing everything within twice the effective range of high beams.
Due to the nature of infrared imaging technology, the you see resembles a black-and-white television image. Nevertheless, the limitations in image quality are more than compensated for by the expanded field of vision provided by automotive night vision systems.
